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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24799585">Realities</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/goldilocks23/pseuds/goldilocks23'>goldilocks23</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Mystery, Slow Burn, Spirit World shenanigans, Starts in the Canon Universe but Transitions to a Modern Setting, Time Travel, Zutara, expect tropes, genrebending, kind of</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 00:34:25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>66,370</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24799585</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/goldilocks23/pseuds/goldilocks23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>With only weeks until Sozin’s Comet arrives, Aang makes a mistake during a Spirit World journey that leads to Katara and Zuko getting trapped in a modern AU.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Katara/Zuko (Avatar)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>248</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>384</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1: Prologue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is my very first fanfic (bear with me!). I've been an ATLA fan for years, and the isolation of recent months and the show's addition to Netflix got me inspired! I have taken a few creative liberties when it comes to some concepts of the canon, so I apologize for any inaccuracies that might come up. Please enjoy and I would love to hear feedback!</p><p>Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA or LoK.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A vision of molten devastation dissolved into a blinding light, then the piercing cry of a newborn could be heard through the white haze. The two Avatars were soon standing in a stone chamber, lit only by sunlight streaming through a single window at the top of the room. Aang recognized it as the nursery of the Southern Air Temple.</p><p>Three figures huddled around a cradle, cast in shadow. One of them held up the Air Nomad child to the light.</p><p>“Who’s— wait.” It occurred to Aang that Roku had been showing him the fiery demise of his past self just before the wail of the newborn rang out into the nursery. “That’s me, isn’t it?” Aang asked, taking in the scene before him. </p><p>Rather than confirm his suspicions, Roku offered the boy a final piece of wisdom. “Make sense of our past, Aang, and you will bring peace and restore balance in the world.” Aang turned just in time to see Roku vanish, leaving behind a faint blue glow.</p><p>Aang’s eyes widened in confusion. He called out to Roku and found himself once again momentarily blinded as his surroundings changed again. This time, however, he had the feeling that something was wrong. Instead of returning to his body, he found himself back in the Spirit World, on the plateau from which Roku had picked him up for their solstice spirit journey.</p><p>Aang could see nothing through the clouds surrounding him on the stone platform. He called out to Roku once again but was met only with the taunt of his own voice echoing back to him. Overhead, he could hear the call of a dragon bird as it slithered across the sky. He was utterly alone.</p><p>It was only after attempting in vain to clear the fog surrounding his patch of land that he remembered that his bending did not work in the Spirit World. With a nervous giggle, he moved to sit in the center of the plateau and folded his legs into a lotus position.</p><p>
  <em>Concentrate on your breathing. Will yourself back to your body. </em>
</p><p>And he did. Or, he tried. But after what felt like hours of meditating, Aang’s legs began to feel numb and the panic started to set in. The eclipse was only a few short weeks away, and he couldn’t afford to waste time. There was no telling how long he had already been trapped in this world, given how differently time moved here.</p><p>He thought of Katara and her inevitable worrying. If he didn't make it out fast enough, Aang could predict with certainty that she would convince the others to come in after him. His stomach churned uncomfortably at the idea. </p><p>No. His friends could not put themselves in danger because of him.</p><p>Once again, with all of the focus he could muster, Aang called out to Roku. This time, however, his call was answered. The wizened Avatar appeared before him, sitting across from him in the same lotus position.</p><p>“Roku!" He sighed with relief, rapidly forming more sentences before his teacher could speak. “Thank you for coming back. I need your help. For some reason, I can’t get back to my body.” </p><p>His anxiety overpowered his relief at the sight of his past self, and the questions poured out. “Is the solstice over? Am I trapped here? How can—”</p><p>Roku cut him off with a slight wave of his hand and a rueful smile. “The Spirit World is a place of many mysteries. It is a living entity, shaped collectively from the spirits that inhabit it. This coalition of spirits thinks and feels in ways that you and I will never understand. Its motives are, at times, unclear.”</p><p>Aang stared at Roku with no small amount of confusion etched into his features.</p><p>“I do not know why you are unable to return to your body,” added Roku, with a note of guilt in his tone.</p><p>The airbender visibly deflated. This was not the answer he was looking for.</p><p>“The Avatar is indeed the bridge between the Mortal World and the Spirit World,” Roku continued after a thoughtful pause, “but some Avatars have a deeper connection to this realm than others. There is perhaps no Avatar with a greater connection to the Spirit World than Avatar Wan, the original Avatar.”</p><p>At this, Aang regarded Roku with renewed optimism. He knew that he had access to all of his previous lives, but it had never occurred to him to look as far back as the beginning. <em>Surely Avatar Wan can help me. </em>He couldn't think about the alternative. </p><p>Aang bowed, thanking Avatar Roku for his wisdom before returning to his lotus position with a steadying breath and looking deeper into himself than ever before. When he felt a familiar tug that told him he had found who he was looking for, he opened his eyes to meet a set of kind brown ones.</p><p>Avatar Wan was closer to Aang in age than he had expected. The young man had shaggy black hair and a small goatee framing his pointed face. His clothing was a simple brown that did not indicate a nationality. He wore a mischievous grin as he watched the young airbender sitting cross-legged in front of him, gawking in amazement.</p><p>“Hello, Avatar Aang. My name is Wan. It is no accident that you find yourself requiring my assistance,” he said, the smile never leaving his face. “You must have a lot of questions, but for now, I think it best that we cut to the chase. I have some essential knowledge to impart to you that will not only help you leave the Spirit World but will also be vital to fulfilling your destiny of defeating the Fire Lord.”</p><p>Feeling slightly overwhelmed at the loaded remark, Aang nodded dumbly.</p><p>Wan’s grin stretched wider as he continued, “I’m going to teach you how to energybend, just as the last great lion turtle taught me. I did not learn to energybend in my mortal life, but I have spent the last 10,000 years perfecting the art in the Spirit World."</p><p>At this, Aang raised his hand. Smirking, Wan waved his permission. "Doesn't bending not work in the Spirit World?" the boy asked gently, eyes scanning the area for any eavesdropping spirits.</p><p>"It is the purest form of bending that predates the bending of the four elements, so the so-called 'rules' don't apply.”</p><p>As he spoke, Wan leaned toward Aang, reaching to touch the arrow tattoo on his forehead. “To teach you to use this ability, I will use it on you.” He didn’t wait for permission. Just as Aang recoiled against Wan’s touch, a green light erupted around the two Avatars.</p><p>For a moment, Aang's senses were overtaken by the otherworldly emerald light. Then, his surroundings shifted, and there were strange images tinged with that same light flashing through his mind simultaneously—10,000 years of knowledge seeping into his memory. To his astonishment, he found himself retaining all that Wan shared. It felt as if his brain was being tattooed with the words from a textbook in Wan Shi Tong’s library.</p><p>Then, as quickly as it had begun, it was over, and it was as though all of the energybending knowledge Aang needed had simply appeared in his head. He knew that he would do precisely as Wan had done to him if he were to pass this knowledge to someone else. He knew how to defeat the Fire Lord without killing him—something he had privately worried about for months.</p><p>Most importantly for the moment, he knew how to escape the Spirit World. He didn't know how, but he just...<em>knew</em>.</p><p>Wan offered one more crooked smile. "Good luck, Aang."</p><p>The airbender sank into a bow, thanking him earnestly. The first Avatar vanished, and he was alone once more. </p><p>With a slow intake of breath, Aang could feel the energy of this world crackling around him. It surged and rippled like a heat wave. He began to channel the flow of it, concentrating on the center of the plateau upon which he stood. Using wide stirring motions with his arms, he imagined pulling all of the surrounding spirit energy into the earth beneath him.</p><p>The platform began to glow, and as it got brighter, Aang could feel the energy pulsing through him as he manipulated its pull and quickened his movements in time with its flow. His entire being was abuzz, and in a momentary distraction, he was reminded of what it felt like to get hit by lightning. </p><p>The power hit its peak, and there was a brief moment of eerie silence before the entire platform exploded, sending a blinding light of spirit energy into the sky as had occurred when Aang emerged from the iceberg.</p><p>The boy felt the impact of the blast fling him off the edge of the plateau like a rag doll, and though he could scarcely hear his thoughts over the ringing of his ears, he knew he had succeeded in his goal. Then, everything went black.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA or LoK.</p><p>Any recognizable dialogue was pulled from 'The Avatar and the Fire Lord'</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Katara awoke with a start from another restless sleep. She blindly reached for Aang, sitting at arm’s length in the same position he had been for the last four days. Opening her eyes fully, she looked up into the childlike face of the airbender. The first hints of sunrise bathed his soft features in a dim glow. His eyes remained closed, his mouth parted, his breathing steady. Katara sighed and ruffled his rapidly-growing hair before making her way back to camp.</p><p>She had moved her bedroll close to his side the night of the summer solstice when he hadn’t returned from his Spirit World journey. Refusing to miss any sign of movement, she had stayed by him each night since despite the discomfort of the basalt cliff on which he perched.</p><p>Ever the earliest of the group to rise, Katara decided that this morning she would busy herself with breakfast to take her mind off her uneasiness. She hiked down to the bottom of the cliff to refill her waterskin, examining the horizon for any Fire Nation steam engines until she was satisfied with the lack of black smoke polluting the view. Upon returning to the campsite, she desalinated the water as she bent it into a large pot with rice, embellishing it with some spices she had purchased in Shu Jing a few days prior. It took several minutes of careful angling of her small handheld mirror to nurse a small fire in a pile of lava rocks under her concoction and for a moment, she idly wished their group included a firebender.</p><p>To bide her time while the pot heated, she did some stretches and basic waterbending poses. She didn’t bother with anything more advanced than that, knowing her mind was far too troubled to garner the proper focus.</p><p>As the savory smell of jook wafted through the barren campsite, Sokka wandered over from the shadow of Appa’s still-sleeping form, stretching and yawning dramatically as he greeted Katara good morning. He cast a nervous glance at Aang and attempted to lighten the evident mood with a retort about the Avatar getting a sunburn before settling himself down next to the simmering pot.</p><p>Sokka had insisted that Aang was perfectly fine for the first two days, citing “Avatar mumbo jumbo” as the cause for his delayed return. However, as the days went on, his optimism waned, and Katara noticed that his eyes shifted to the small figure on the cliff with increasing frequency.</p><p>She handed her brother a bowl of the jook before grabbing one for herself. He thanked her, and they ate in peace for several minutes. The sun was now high above the horizon line—Katara hadn’t realized how long her morning activities had taken.</p><p>Sokka broke her out of her reverie. She hadn’t realized she had been staring at Aang again. “I get that you’re worried—we all are—but there really isn’t anything we can do. Aang will come back when he’s ready.”</p><p>Katara reluctantly turned to him, unconvinced. “There has to be something we can do,” she asserted, though she didn’t really believe it herself. Sokka frowned and shook his head as he tied his hair into his wolf tail.</p><p>Before their conversation could become an argument, Toph chose this time to stagger over to the siblings. “G’ morning,” she mumbled, then with more volume, “Can Twinkletoes just wake up already so we can leave this depressing pile of ash?”</p><p>Sokka, taking this as another opportunity to ease the tension, nodded in agreement. “Yeah, of all places for Aang to decide to leave us hanging. He couldn’t have picked an island with a beach?”</p><p>The earthbender snickered as she stomped her foot, and a chair shot up from the ground. She plopped down onto it and filled herself a bowl of the savory porridge. Katara looked on in mild disgust as she spat in her hand and ran it through the mess of dark hair on her head to smooth it down. Seemingly satisfied, Toph went on joking around with Sokka while they ate. Momo flew in from wherever he'd been sleeping to perch on her shoulder, attempting to steal some food from her bowl, thinking she wouldn’t notice. Of course, she did notice, shouting, “Hey, get your own!” as she shooed the lemur away.</p><p>“You seem wholly unconcerned that Aang is not, in fact, waking up,” Katara spat, unable to stomach the casualness of the breakfast conversation. </p><p>Toph held up her hands in defense before echoing Sokka’s thoughts from earlier. “Look, Sweetness, we are all concerned about Aang, but I’m sure whatever he is taking so long to do in the land of the dead will only help us out later. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but when these types of things happen, they tend to happen for a reason.”</p><p>As infuriating as their virtually identical responses to her concerns were, Katara knew deep down that they were right. There was nothing to do but wait. She sighed and finally nodded, looking once more at Aang’s still form, now a silhouette in the bright light of a day well underway. A hand landed on her shoulder, and she looked up to see Sokka smiling at her reassuringly.</p><p>The trio spent the rest of the day watching Aang in shifts while they searched Roku’s Island in vain for any sign of food or freshwater.</p><p>Sokka had insisted that his sister take the final shift of the afternoon. “Why don’t you take a day for yourself? Go surfing or ice hopping, or whatever it is waterbenders do. Maybe you can get us some sea prunes for dinner.” At Katara’s hesitation, he added, “Don’t worry. If Aang wakes up, we’ll come to find you first thing.”</p><p>At this, Katara smiled weakly. Sokka was only trying to help, and the distraction would be beneficial, so she agreed. After giving Aang’s body a quick embrace and giving Appa a scratch on the ear, she set off toward the water on the other side of the island, leaving Toph to take the first watch. Sokka headed in the direction of the smaller of the two volcanoes making up the island.</p><p>The sun was low on the horizon when Katara began the trek back to the campsite with an armful of ocean kumquats—she hadn’t bothered correcting Sokka when he had called them sea prunes earlier.</p><p>He had been right about her needing a day for herself. She was able to clear her head enough to get in a grueling bending session and was decidedly more optimistic about Aang. There was still more than a week until the eclipse, and her friends’ comforting words from earlier had started to sink in. She smiled to herself and quickened her pace when the campsite and Aang’s cross-legged form on the cliff came into view.</p><p>That smile quickly faded, however, when the airbender was thrown backward from the ledge as an ear-splitting blast ripped open the cliff he had been sitting on as if it was made of slush.</p><p>Katara watched with horror as the energy of the explosion redirected itself into a shot of blinding light straight up, leaving in its wake a beacon that appeared to have carved itself into the sky.</p><p>Dropping her haul of kumquats and shielding her eyes from the glare, Katara sprinted for the campsite.</p><hr/><p>Prince Zuko pushed the scroll he had been reading to the side as he stood sharply and stormed from the Catacombs and out of the palace, into the dim light of the setting sun. He didn’t bother calling for a palanquin, instead marching straight through the capital, northwest toward the imposing prison tower set into the crater’s side just outside the city’s limits.</p><p>He knew Uncle had sent him the cryptic note from the night before, launching him on a wild turtle duck chase for useless information. Seething, he nodded curtly to the guards in an unspoken agreement that they never saw him as he made his way to the dark, cramped cell that held General Iroh.</p><p>Slamming the steel door behind him, he didn’t bother with a greeting. Not even the man’s dirty, decrepit appearance could temper Zuko’s annoyance. “You sent this, didn’t you?” he accused, waving the crumpled scroll around.</p><p>Uncle did not answer. He didn’t even look at him, which only further fueled his anger. “I found the ‘secret’ history, which, by the way, should be renamed the ‘history most people already know.’ The note said I needed to know about my great grandfather’s death, but he was still alive in the end!”</p><p>At this, the man regarded his nephew, his eyes cold. “No. He wasn’t.”</p><p>Zuko eyed him incredulously. “What are you talking about?”</p><p>“You have more than one great grandfather, Prince Zuko. Sozin was your father’s grandfather." </p><p><em>And...?</em> He didn’t have time for this.</p><p>“Your mother’s grandfather was Avatar Roku.”</p><p>The prince grit his teeth, good eye widening as the words sunk in. Leave it to Uncle to make him even more confused than he already was; to question his destiny, even after he had already fulfilled it. “Why are you telling me this?”</p><p>“Because understanding the struggle between your two great grandfathers can help you better understand the battle within yourself.”</p><p>Zuko sunk to his knees, gripping his hair with frustration as Uncle’s words penetrated him. They were true, of course. Ever since Zuko’s arrival in the Fire Nation, something hadn't <em>felt</em> right. As he imagined his limbs being yanked in two different directions, he could feel Uncle’s searching eyes burning into the top of his head as he spoke. “Evil and good are always at war inside you, Zuko. It is your nature—your legacy. But, there is a bright side.”</p><p>Before Iroh could continue, a dull rumble shook the tiny cell as a sound that Zuko could only compare to a large boulder crashing to the ground echoed around the room. It lasted for several seconds.</p><p>Zuko whipped his head around in alarm until his eyes once again found his uncle’s piercing gaze. The man was unfazed, but Zuko noticed that there was a glint in his eye that had not been there moments ago. Clearly, what Uncle said next was not what he had been about to tell him before the interruption.</p><p>“You may already know this about me, Prince Zuko, but five years ago, I found myself at a similar crossroads to what you are facing now. When Lu Ten died,” he paused and took a shaky breath, turning his head toward the stone floor. “I journeyed to the Spirit World to find him, on the winter solstice. I searched for what felt to me like many years, to no avail. I never had the chance to say goodbye. Part of me had hoped that if I did cross paths with him, I would be able to live out my days with him in the Spirit World, rather than face what I had done.”</p><p>Zuko flinched. The grief radiating off the man was nearly palpable.</p><p>“As my search continued, I was forced to reexamine the role I had been playing in the destruction of the world. The person I loved most was taken from me, and it was, even if indirectly, because of my actions. I was a lost soul, Zuko. It is my greatest wish that you never know that kind of pain. But more than that, I do not want you to make the same mistakes that I made.”</p><p>Zuko had never heard Uncle speak of his cousin in this way. He knew that Lu Ten’s death caused the General to abandon the siege of Ba Sing Se and give up his claim to the throne, but he had only heard it through the mocking words of his father and sister. He had even heard in passing of Iroh’s connection to the Spirit World. Still, he had never received confirmation from the man himself, as he did now.</p><p>He could only stare at his uncle as all traces of hostility melted out of him and seeped into the cold floor.</p><p>Iroh continued, “The spirits appear to have granted you the same opportunity that I was given those many years ago.” He closed his eyes and breathed in as if smelling a sweet aroma. “A spirit portal has just opened, Prince Zuko. Such a gateway between our worlds has not been opened in generations. I think that the answers you are looking for may lie therein.”</p><p>Zuko balked and wondered how exactly his uncle could know that a spirit portal had just opened—also what exactly a spirit portal was—but instead, he asked, “Didn’t you just tell me not to make the same mistakes as you?”</p><p>Uncle smiled gently, the old kindness returning to his eyes as he looked upon his nephew. “Though I did not find who I was looking for in the Spirit World, I did discover things about myself that I never would have otherwise; that there are more things worth living for than my nation.”</p><p>The love and adoration with which his uncle now watched him, despite all of the horrible things he had done to him, made Zuko squirm with discomfort. His chest burned and he broke the eye contact.</p><p>“Besides,” Iroh added. “You might be luckier than I was. Who better to speak to about the struggle between your great grandfathers than your great grandfathers themselves? The spirit portal was opened on Avatar Roku’s island. An interesting coincidence, wouldn’t you say?”</p><p>Zuko had a feeling that it was not a coincidence at all, and that Uncle knew this.</p><p>All that the young firebender had just heard, frankly, scared the hell out of him. But despite that fear, he felt an overwhelming sense of curiosity. Why would a spirit portal open now, after countless years of the gate being sealed? Why on Avatar Roku’s island, right after Zuko was informed of their connection? He needed answers.</p><p>Seeing the resolve etch itself into his nephew’s features, Iroh smiled knowingly. “Good luck, Prince Zuko.”</p><p>Zuko hesitated, peering at the man in the filthy cell one last time, before steeling himself and nodding. “Thank you, Uncle.”</p><p>As he bolted back to the palace and through the maze of corridors to his chambers, he thought of nothing but the task at hand. After quickly packing a bag with provisions for the journey, he grabbed his broadswords and snuck out of the palace to head toward the harbor, where an airfield of war balloons waited. He calculated that he could reach Roku’s Island before dawn if he left now, giving him the best chance of getting there unseen.</p><p>It wasn’t until he was halfway to the harbor that he stopped in the middle of the road and remembered that he was no longer a refugee in the Earth Kingdom. He was the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation. He thought of Mai. How could he leave her without saying goodbye? His thoughts then flitted to his father, whose respect he finally had after years of disgrace and banishment. <em>Am I willing to throw that away?</em></p><p>No. These were not the same circumstances as the last time he left. This was necessary for both his sake and theirs. The turmoil inside him needed to end. He wouldn’t be gone long. <em>I won't be gone long.</em> The words repeated like a mantra in his head as he jogged the rest of the way to the airfield. Deep down, he knew there was a possibility that those words were not true, but there was no going back now.</p><hr/><p>Katara scrambled up the cliff, skirting as far as possible around the glimmering beam of light that shot up from the ledge.</p><p>To her tremendous relief, the campsite and, more importantly, its inhabitants, seemed relatively unscathed. Sokka appeared to have caught Aang after his body had been launched by the blast. Toph arrived on the scene almost precisely at the same time as Katara. Appa looked like he had seen a ghost, but otherwise okay. Momo was latched onto Sokka’s head.</p><p>“Katara! Did you <em>see</em> that?!” Sokka shrieked as he shot up and closed the distance between them, Momo still wrapped tightly around him.</p><p>“I think everyone within a hundred-mile radius saw that. Even I saw it,” said Toph breathlessly. Katara only nodded. “Is everyone okay?” She looked around her brother to see where the airbender was propped up against Appa’s side, wearing the same peaceful expression as when she left several hours ago.</p><p>“Aside from the shock, we’re all fine. If Aang was any heavier, we might have had an issue. The kid packs a punch, even when he’s sleeping.” Sokka was rubbing his stomach as he spoke.</p><p>Katara quickly bent the water from her pouch into a glove over her hand and held it over Sokka’s midriff. The water glowed, and her brother sighed in contentment as the pain subsided. “Thanks, little sis.”</p><p>“You’re welcome. Now we need to talk about what on earth <em>that</em> is,” she replied, gesturing to the light beam.</p><p>Toph stepped closer to it. “Whatever it is, I’ve never felt this amount of concentrated energy before. It drowns out everything else. It’s the only thing I can see.”</p><p>Katara turned to inspect it more closely. It was nearly identical to the light that shot out of the iceberg when she and Sokka had first found Aang, only this one showed no signs of fading. The longer she looked at it, the more she understood Toph’s meaning. It was visibly humming with energy—the light blurring and trembling as it attempted to flee the column’s confines it had been centralized within.</p><p>Hearing Sokka choke out, she half-turned to find him pointing high up the beacon. Something flew out of the light and soared down toward the ocean below. As it got closer to where they stood, it became increasingly clear that this creature was…otherworldly. Katara would have compared it to a flutter bat, only it was bright yellow, had three wings on either side of its round body, and its eyes were a solid, bright purple. It glowed faintly in the dim evening light.</p><p>Several more creatures trickled out of the light. Katara realized that the flutter bat was the only one that had been remotely close to ordinary. Shapes and colors she had never seen before materialized in front of her. None showed any sign of concern for the trio of teenagers, the sky bison, and the lemur gawking at them. With trepidation they flew, walked, and rolled in and out of the light beam as if uneasy about leaving the nest.</p><p>Suddenly, Momo launched off his perch on Sokka’s head and flew straight for the column of light.</p><p>Katara and Sokka called after him as Toph demanded to know what was going on. “I can’t see anything beyond that stupid ball of light!” No one could explain it to her; the siblings were transfixed on the small animal as he hurled himself toward what Katara felt was certain doom.</p><p>The lemur was clearly determined in his curiosity. As quickly as he had taken off, he disappeared into the beam. “Momo!” Katara cried out. She tore her eyes away from the scene to look back at Aang’s lifeless form. <em>This is going to crush him. He—</em></p><p>Her thought was interrupted by the sound of Momo’s chattering has he reappeared and flew back down to land on Toph’s shoulder, completely unharmed. Toph yelled out in surprise before grumbling again about not being able to see.</p><p>Sokka looked lost in thought. He looked at the beings filing in and out of the light, then at Momo.</p><p>“Do you think that’s some kind of gate? To the Spirit World?”</p><p>Katara stared at her brother, about to protest, but it strangely made sense. The creatures that emerged from that light could only have been from the Spirit World, based on the stories that Aang told them. Sokka would know, too; Katara had almost forgotten that he was taken to the Spirit World when he was kidnapped by Hei Bai.</p><p>Sokka continued, “Do you think <em>Aang</em> opened this to get himself <em>out</em> of the Spirit World?”</p><p>Katara considered this for a moment. “Wouldn’t he be back by now, if he had? What if he’s trapped in there and opened it so we could go get him out?”</p><p>She had expected him to argue with her, but after a moment, he nodded. “You might be right, but I think we should wait until morning before anyone goes in there after him. That would give us a chance to get some rest and, more importantly, give Aang a chance to get out of there if he did, in fact, open it for his own escape. Only one of us will be able to go in there since Toph is actually blind right now, and one of us needs to stay and watch Aang.”</p><p>Reluctantly, Katara nodded. Going in now could do more harm than good. “Okay. In the morning, I’ll go in after him. You stay with Toph to watch Aang.”</p><p>Her brother snorted and patted her on the shoulder. “No, no, little sister. I’m going in. Because I am the only one who has actually <em>been</em> to the Spirit World,” he said matter-of-factly.</p><p>Before Katara could protest, Toph cut in. “He’s right, Sweetness. It only makes sense for him to go in. Plus, don’t you want to be the first one to see Twinkletoes wake up?”</p><p>She had a point, but the idea of Sokka going to the Spirit World by himself made Katara extremely uncomfortable. “I don’t want you to risk yourself. I have my bending, and who knows how effective your sword would be on spirits.”</p><p>“If I remember correctly, Aang said that bending doesn’t work in the Spirit World,” inserted Sokka. “I’ll be fine, Katara. You and I both know that Aang will want to see your face when he wakes up.”</p><p>With a huff, Katara relented. Come to think of it, she did remember Aang saying something about that. “Fine,” she mumbled.</p><p>Sokka helped Katara gather all of the kumquats she had dropped on her way to camp, and they ate dinner in apprehensive silence. Everyone was in agreement that they would go to bed early. They moved Aang and their bedrolls farther away from the spirit portal as they settled in for the night. Toph fell asleep quickly, followed shortly by Sokka, and then the only sounds were the whispers of the spirits as they drifted around the portal.</p><p>After what felt like hours of tossing and turning, Katara couldn’t take it anymore.</p><p>If she left now, she could get Aang out of there and be back in bed before the other two woke up. They would just assume he had gotten out on his own. She halfheartedly debated herself for a moment before making up her mind. However, her mind had really been made up hours ago.</p><p>Keeping an eye on Toph, she slowly slipped out of her bedroll. The earthbender’s mouth was parted, and she was snoring noisily in her deep sleep. Confident that she would not wake up, Katara tiptoed away from the camp toward the blinding ray of light on the cliffside. She stopped in front of it and took a deep breath, whispering to herself, “I’m coming, Aang.”</p><p>Gritting her teeth, she stepped slowly into the portal.</p><hr/><p>Zuko had begun to regret his decision of not waiting until morning for this journey. He found himself slipping in and out of consciousness as he steadily manipulated the fire under the balloon. Above him, the stars winked mockingly.</p><p>Maybe he could get some rest upon his arrival, before actually entering the Spirit World. </p><p>After several hours of watching the unchanging light from the spirit portal on the horizon, it appeared to get bigger. It was no longer just a mirage in the distance; it was real, and he was close.</p><p>His mind wandered once again to his uncle’s words. <em>Though I did not find who I was looking for in the Spirit World, I did discover things about myself that I never would have otherwise.</em> He didn’t know what awaited him beyond the portal, but Zuko had a distinct feeling that things were about to change.</p><p>As he inched ever-closer to Roku’s Island, he could make out several shapes in the darkness. He groaned. <em>Someone beat me here</em>. It would be much more challenging to get to the portal without being noticed. Prince Zuko no longer had the advantage of anonymity; whoever was camped near the entrance would know immediately who he was.</p><p>Swinging the balloon in a wide arc, he landed on the western side of the island’s larger volcano, just on the other side of the small encampment.</p><p>Blinking back exhaustion, he unsheathed his broadswords and hiked stealthily towards the portal. Dropping down to a lower ledge of the cliffs, he could just peek over at the scene surrounding the light beam without being seen.</p><p>Zuko became aware of two things simultaneously. First, the spirit portal was teeming with activity. The light itself seemed to be alive as it hummed and trembled. The creatures that slipped in and out of it were another matter entirely. He swallowed the nervous lump in his throat. Second, the identity of the camp’s inhabitants had become immediately apparent. He glared at the sky bison, and the three sleeping bodies nestled at its feet.</p><p>So the Avatar was still alive, and the assassin had not yet succeeded in finishing what Azula started in Ba Sing Se. Zuko, frankly, was not sure how to feel about that. What he was sure of, however, was that he was <em>not</em> here for the Avatar.</p><p>Something, or someone, appeared to be missing from the group. Zuko noticed the Avatar immediately, as he was the only one not wrapped in a bedroll. He recognized the girl that was loudly snoring as the blind earthbender. The largest of the three figures could only be the water tribe guy. There was an abandoned bedroll next to him. Where was the waterbender?</p><p>His head turned toward the spirit portal. Surely the Avatar opened this portal. <em>Why would she have gone in there without him?</em></p><p>Belatedly, it occurred to Zuko that he had no plan once he entered the portal. His scar tingled slightly at the memory of the girl's gentle touch under Ba Sing Se. Maybe this was a sign that he should look for her. But before he could set his mind to that, the earthbender began to stir. He panicked. <em>No time. </em></p><p>Without thinking, Zuko sprinted for the portal. Ignoring the spirits that flitted out and around it, he closed his eyes dove headfirst.</p><p>Not ten seconds later, a small ball of an even brighter light than that of the beacon drifted out of it toward the campsite. The Avatar's tattoos lit up briefly with it before it disappeared, and he slowly opened his eyes.</p><p>The glowing column of light on the cliff was snuffed out as the spirit portal snapped shut, just as quickly as it had opened.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you so much to everyone who read and reviewed the last chapter. I love any kind of feedback, so keep it coming!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA or LoK.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Sokka. <em>Sokka</em>." Small hands shook away the dream he'd been enjoying. He grunted and rolled over. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew his bedroll right out from under him, flipping him onto his face with an "oof." He surged to his feet, staring around wildly. "What was th—Aang!"</p><p>The airbender stood with his hands held in front of him. His face was apologetic before it morphed into confusion at Sokka's look of shocked relief. "Sokka, what's wrong? Where's Katara?"</p><p>Nonplussed, Sokka peered down at the empty bedroll next to him. Katara's waterskin lay across it, forgotten. That relief he felt vanished as his gaze slid haltingly from it to the spot on the edge of the cliff that was apparently no longer occupied by the spirit portal. The only evidence that it had been there was the small group of straggler spirits floating about that hadn't made it back before the gate closed. Realizing what Katara had done, he rounded on Aang. </p><p>"What do you mean, 'where's Katara'? Didn't she find you in there? Isn't that why you're here?" His unease dissolved into dread as his eyes bore into the boy. </p><p>Aang's brow furrowed. "No. I accidentally trapped myself in the Spirit World after I talked to Roku. Avatar Wan helped me open a portal to get myself out. I think I blacked out for a few seconds after I did it, and then the climb back up to it took a few more minutes. I also spent maybe two or three hours before then trying to figure out how to get out. I know that time works a little bit differently in the Spirit World, but I couldn't have been gone for that long, right? Why would Katara have gone in after me?"</p><p>By the end of his explanation, he spoke rapidly and glanced nervously toward where the portal had been minutes ago. </p><p>Sokka didn't notice that Toph had woken up to join them until she said, "Aang, you were gone for four days." Sokka watched Aang's eyes widen when Toph continued, gesturing vaguely in Sokka's direction. "Snoozles, here, was going to wait until morning to go in that portal after you, but it looks like Sugar Queen beat him to it." </p><p>She paused then, and her expression changed as she placed her hand on the ashy soil beneath them. "Or…maybe she didn't go in there at all, at least not by choice." Another beat of silence, "We're not alone."</p><p>Before either of the boys could respond, she made a hard motion with her arms, and a slab of earth jutted out beneath their feet. Then they were rocketing up the side of the volcano. </p><p>Sokka held onto Aang for dear life, shouting, "Do you mean to tell us that <em>someone else</em> is here?!" Instead of answering, Toph brought them to an abrupt halt at the edge of the crater facing the western shore. There, at the base of the mountain, rested one of the Mechanist's air balloons. Only, to Sokka's horror, it was adorned with the symbol of the Fire Nation. </p><p>"There's no one here," Toph whispered, a hint of confusion in her tone. "The balloon is empty. The rest of the island is empty."</p><p>Sokka did not find this confusing at all, and it gave him no comfort. He wasted no time when he turned back to Aang. "I don't know how or why that portal closed as soon as you came out of it, but you need to open it back up <em>right now</em>." </p><p>The kid looked like he was going to be sick. "Sokka, I don't think I can right now." His gray eyes were wide and glassy. For the first time since Aang woke up, Sokka noticed that he was visibly weak. There were dark shadows under his eyes, and it appeared to require considerable effort for him to stay standing. Creating that light beam had clearly taken a lot out of him. At the moment, though, Sokka didn't care. He needed his baby sister back. </p><p>"Katara is probably trapped in the Spirit World with some Fire Nation stranger! It's not like we can wait until the next solstice. You have to try."</p><p>Aang's face was contorted with anguish. For a moment, it was easy for Sokka to forget that he was the Avatar and not just a terrified 12-year old. </p><p>Toph cut in, "I'm normally all for pushing Aang past his limits, but Sokka, look at him. I don't have to see to know that he looks like he got run over by an ostrich horse. His chi is all out of wack." </p><p>Sokka glared at her. "Okay, then what's <em>your</em> excuse? This never would have happened if your magic earthbender ears had woken you up when my <em>sister</em> was being <em>kidnapped</em>!" </p><p>For a moment she looked stricken before she gritted her teeth, puffing out her chest. "I told you I couldn't see anything beyond that stupid light beam!"</p><p>"Guys, stop." Aang put a hand on each of their shoulders, resolve evident in his features. "I will do everything in my power to get Katara back. Of course I'll try to open another spirit portal."</p><p>Not waiting for their responses, he leapt back down the volcano the way they came.  </p><p>When Sokka and Toph arrived back at camp, Aang was standing on the cliff, his back facing them. He was in a bending stance, making circular motions with his arms.</p><p>He did this for several minutes, but nothing happened, and eventually, the arm motions started to slacken. Then he stood upright, took several deep breaths, and tried again. And again, and again. </p><p>Sokka wasn't sure how much time had gone by when Aang's knees started to wobble. He crumpled, his head in his hands as he curled in on himself. Sokka glanced dismally at Toph, who wore a deep grimace as they made their way over to the airbender. </p><p>"I'm so sorry, Sokka. I tried so hard, but I just can't do it right now," Aang stammered through tears. Even the effort of weeping seemed to exhaust him as he looked up at Sokka with hooded eyes. </p><p>Sokka felt a rush of guilt as he watched the boy shake with sobs. "Hey, buddy," he murmured, placing a hand on his shoulder and forcing himself to smile. "I think you need to get some rest now."</p><p>Aang looked like he was ready to protest, but his head lolled to the side, and a shaky sigh escaped his lips. </p><p>Toph gave him a light punch on the arm as she and Sokka helped him stand and limp back toward camp. "It's okay, Twinkletoes. You can try again when you’re ready and we'll get Katara back. Besides, you and I both know she can take care of herself."</p><p>Sokka could only hope that she was right. </p>
<hr/><p>Zuko was momentarily blinded as the scene of Roku's Island dissolved into an expanse of bright white nothingness. Then, he was falling, tumbling down a cliff into a sea of hazy unknowns.</p><p>Landing flat on his back with a dull thud in a surprisingly forgiving patch of grass, the firebender let out a low groan, eyes closing involuntarily. His entire body pulsated with a combination of the pain from his fall and the fatigue that had been threatening to overwhelm him for the last several hours. Attempting to stand was fruitless, so he begrudgingly settled for propping himself up on his elbows as he absorbed his surroundings. </p><p>Above him, he could just make out the light of the spirit portal through the mist. He had landed in a thicket of what appeared to be banyan-grove saplings, their exposed roots twisting and tangling themselves over nearly every available surface. The flora that sprouted at the bases of the trees and the crevices of the roots encompassed a range of peculiar shapes with dazzling colors. Tiny spirits lazily floated in and out of the trees. Every aspect of the landscape that Zuko could see appeared to glow as if bathed in moonlight. There was, of course, no moon to shine on them. His current surroundings were shrouded in darkness, but he had observed daylight during his brief time above the veil of fog that blanketed the grove. </p><p>At a point, Zuko decided not to trust his own perceptions. He had a suspicion that he might be hallucinating some of them. Making another attempt to stand, he managed to half-succeed by leaning heavily into a trunk of one of the trees. A sharp pain shot through his ribcage as he did so, and his breath came out in short hisses through his gritted teeth. This was not a great start to his journey of self-discovery. </p><p>Mentally cursing Uncle, he pulled the silk of the most casual tunic he had been able to find in his royal wardrobe to assess the damage. An angry purple bruise already occupied most of his right side. Huffing out a sigh, then wincing from the pain of doing that, he gripped his hair in irritation.</p><p>"What am I even doing here?" he grumbled to himself, looking up just in time to see none other than the Avatar stumble by him.</p><p>Zuko nearly keeled over. It made no sense—he had seen him sleeping outside with the earthbender and the Water Tribe guy. <em>Okay, now I'm definitely hallucinating</em>.</p><p>The boy did not notice Zuko gaping at him as he made his way toward the base of the hill Zuko had just tumbled down and began a slow climb back up, presumably toward the spirit portal. The airbender looked like he had reached the bottom of the hill in a similar way that Zuko had as he limped up the ridge and disappeared into the mist.</p><p>Zuko briefly considered following him back out of the portal and ending his Spirit World trip early. He was, after all, in no shape to continue. Maybe he could make another attempt after some rest and a session with the royal healers. </p><p>An earsplitting noise broke him out of his deliberation. It was similar to the one he had heard when the portal was first opened; only it was much closer to him and, to his chagrin, much louder. After the initial rumble, a strange sound—like something being suctioned—followed it. Horrified, Zuko realized that he no longer had a choice in staying or leaving the Spirit World. </p><p>He stared above at the place where the light beam had been visible beyond the mist. It was gone. The portal was closed, and he was trapped. The Avatar must have closed it behind him when he left.</p><p>He breathed a jet of flame toward the gnarled roots below him, his scream of frustration becoming a strangled cry as he doubled over, clutching his ribs. Through the haze of pain, he took a brief moment to wonder how he was able to firebend. All accounts he had heard regarding the Spirit World reported that bending was not possible here. </p><p>However, there was no time to sit on that thought as the roots and branches around Zuko began to move. He fixed a fearful gaze up at the trunk upon which he leaned. Hollow, unseeing eyes etched into it stared back at him, an unmistakeable rage radiating out of them.</p><p>Instantly regretting the fire blast he had just shot into this tree's roots, he heaved himself off the trunk with a grunt and attempted to back up. Then, a knobby branch shot out from somewhere Zuko could not see, took hold of his ankle, and knocked him hard onto his face. </p><p>For a moment, all he could do was lay there, too drained to address his current predicament. He eventually lifted his head, which felt much heavier than it previously had, his vision swimming in front of him. He could see the colorful flowers he had observed earlier slither toward him, wrapping themselves around him. </p><p>Zuko closed his eyes and began heating up his body. <em>I'll burn these stupid plants.</em></p><p>With satisfaction, he saw steam rising from the spirits that constricted him, but it was not enough. They squeezed him tighter until he could hardly breathe, and therefore could no longer firebend. Dark spots appeared in his vision, threatening to take over as he tried to blink them away, wheezing and writhing against the restraints. </p><p>There was a brief moment of stillness, then the last thing he saw was the blurred shape of a tree root as it struck him over the head. </p>
<hr/><p>Afraid to anger the spirits by calling out to Aang, Katara resigned herself to thoroughly searching every facet of the Spirit World until she found him. But after deploying this method for hours in vain, she was beginning to worry. She had checked every valley, tree hollow, cave, and canyon within a few miles’ radius of the spirit portal, finding no trace of him.</p><p>It was becoming rapidly clear to her that the Spirit World was much more vast than she had initially thought, and that it would likely take more than a few hours of searching to find him. </p><p>She found it difficult not to marvel at the mysterious beauty of the Spirit World. If Katara had not been so determined in her pursuit of Aang, she would have made frequent stops along the way to admire her surroundings. But she eventually needed to pause to rest, choosing to do so near a stream that appeared to flow in a large circle around a verdant clearing. If only she had brought her waterskin from the encampment, even if just to drink from. </p><p>Her mind wandered as she sat, staring into the stream at the small cluster of spirits that glided along with its current. She idly attempted to bend some of the water into her mouth to drink. To her shock, the simple movement was successful. Recalling the water's sacred nature at the spirit oasis of the Northern Water Tribe, she chose only to take a few gulps before bending the water back into the stream. </p><p>Sokka's words from his earlier reminder that she couldn't waterbend in the Spirit World came back to her. He had been right; Aang did say that it wasn't possible to bend here. <em>So, what's different for me?</em></p><p>She considered how she had entered the Spirit World through the portal that Aang had created, and realized that it had to be the reason her waterbending was intact. When Aang made trips to the Spirit World, he managed to project his spirit from his body, leaving his physical form in the Mortal World. Katara had entered the Spirit World using her physical body, walking through the portal. Of course, it made sense that Aang had not known about this loophole of sorts since Katara knew he had never previously opened a spirit portal.</p><p>Smiling, she swirled the water from the stream around her fingers.</p><p>Her reverie was disrupted by a bizarre sound coming from the direction of the portal. Head snapping up, Katara gasped as the beacon of light began to fade away in the distance. "Aang!" she cried, and she was on her feet, sprinting back toward the portal. <em>That had to have been him.</em> She ran along winding paths and vaulted terrain without stopping, a fierce determination in her heart. </p><p>Pulling up breathlessly at the base of the hill atop which the portal stood, she bent the sweat from her brow. Spinning in circles, she forgot her previous caution and called out to Aang. There was no answer, but she heard a loud '<em>thwack</em>' that sounded like it came from the opposite side of the hill. Shouting Aang's name, Katara dashed around the base of the ridge until she came upon a scene she had not expected. </p><p>A boy lay crumpled on the ground, tangled in tree roots. It took her only a second to determine who he was, and she recoiled with disgust as disappointment and hatred arced through her. "<em>Zuko</em>?" Of course, he was here. Of <em>course.</em> </p><p>"Here to capture Aang again?" she spat with all of the venom she could muster. Her eyes burned with the memory of his confession and subsequent betrayal under Ba Sing Se. </p><p>It took her several fuming moments for Katara to realize he had not responded, and she took in the prince's battered appearance. His clothing had torn in places, revealing red flesh underneath. His head was bleeding profusely. He looked, frankly, awful. Worse than that, she noticed now, he did not move or open his eyes. His chest moved faintly, his breathing shallow.</p><p>Swallowing her revulsion, Katara made her way to Zuko's still body, telling herself that Aang would have wanted her to help him. She attempted to pry the roots away from him, but they fought her back, squeezing him harder. Something in his body crunched, and his feeble breath hitched. Katara pulled back in alarm, her stomach turning, then steeled herself and grabbed hold of Zuko's restraints with renewed determination. </p><p>The tree that entrapped him came fully alive then, and Katara ducked just in time for the branch that swung at her to miss her head. Snarling, she leapt to her feet and glared into what she assumed were the tree spirit's eyes carved into its trunk as she shouted, "Stop it! Can't you see he's hurt? Whatever he did to deserve this, you've punished him enough!" </p><p>The spirit growled, the vibration of the sound shaking its branches. Suddenly, it unwrapped itself from Zuko and directed its full force toward Katara. Her reflexes took over, and she did not think. She swept her arms through the air in a wide slashing motion, and a wave of water materialized out of thin air—or so she thought. The branches froze in midair and snapped. Its roots shriveled. The tree spirit, now completely devoid of water, wilted before her eyes.</p><p>All of the suspended water splashed to the ground as the spirit went still. Katara could only stare at her hands with a mix of awe and horror. <em>How did I do that?</em></p><p>There was no time to contemplate it further. Shaking her head, she turned her focus back to the firebender splayed out in the grass that the spirit had occupied moments ago. The firebender who had spent the better part of a year trying to ruin the world's only chance at peace, the firebender who <em>deceived</em> and <em>betrayed</em> her. </p><p>No. Aang would want her to help him.</p><p>Kneeling, she reached down to roll him flat onto his back and carefully worked him out of his tattered shirt. It became immediately apparent that the sound she had heard earlier was one of several cracked ribs as she examined the discoloration on his torso, a stark contrast against his pale skin. There were several deep gashes from where the roots cut into him on his stomach and arms, along with a grisly wound on his head, which she decided required the most urgency.</p><p>Katara couldn't help but smirk at the irony of the situation as she bent the water that she had taken from the spirit and gloved her hands with it. Moving Zuko's matted dark hair to the side, she placed her hands atop his forehead. They glowed blue as the injury was soothed.</p><p>In the back of her mind, there was a small amount of relief when it became clear that it would not leave a scar. </p><p>Methodically, Katara moved her still-glowing hands to his damaged ribs. It was a good thing they were only cracked; she had no idea how to heal broken bones. Closing her eyes, she visualized the water working its way between the bones' fissures, reinforcing them. As she worked, she could hear his breathing become steadier. </p><p>Once the ribs were done, she made quick work of the cuts and leaned back to admire her work. It was then that she noticed Zuko's strange gold eyes staring up at her. </p>
<hr/><p>The waterbender hovered above him, her eyes closed, her brow furrowed as she held her hands to his right side. Her face was illuminated by the blue glow of the water as it healed him.</p><p>Zuko could only stare, mystified. He had never seen a waterbender's healing powers in action. Still dazed, he wondered if this was what the Avatar saw while she healed him after Azula had nearly killed him.</p><p>He could vaguely remember the girl yelling at the tree spirit and the grip of his restraints slackening when she, he assumed, killed it—or subdued it? <em>Did spirits die?</em> Otherwise, he had no idea how she had found him here. He could feel himself relaxing while he watched her work, the last of his injuries fading away. When the girl finished, she sat back on her knees and Zuko found himself meeting her startlingly blue gaze. </p><p>Abruptly, she was on her feet, scowling down at him. "Why are you here?"</p><p>Zuko didn't really know why he was there. He knew he was looking for answers, but he wasn't entirely certain about what the corresponding questions were.</p><p>"…Self-reflection," he muttered after a beat. </p><p>She scoffed. "Yeah, okay. So it's just a coincidence that I found you <em>right</em> where Aang opened that spirit portal?" Shaking her head, she added, "Why don't you just give it up already, Zuko?"</p><p>Zuko glowered at her as he sat up. "Anyone within a hundred miles could have seen that portal appear, and <em>everyone</em> heard it. You're lucky someone worse didn't come looking for it." His mind flitted to the assassin currently hunting the Avatar. </p><p>"I have no reason to capture the Avatar anymore," he continued. "I've already restored my honor." The nagging voice in the back of his mind knew that this wasn't entirely true—especially if his assassin did not succeed—but he ignored it. There was no point in explaining his inner turmoil to this girl.</p><p>Her eyes narrowed, but she said nothing and a question he'd meant to ask bubbled to the surface. "Why did you help me?" The girl clearly hated Zuko.</p><p>Deep down, he didn't blame her for that. </p><p>She looked away for a moment, pursing her lips, before mumbling, "Because it was the right thing to do." Then, she turned on her heel to leave. Zuko made to follow her, and without turning around, she sent a whip of water into his face. "Don't follow me!" </p><p>Clutching his stinging cheek, he called after her. "Since we're both trapped here now, don't you think it's best to—"</p><p>She interrupted him. "What do you mean, 'we're trapped here'?" </p><p>Zuko turned to look back toward where the portal had been. There was no sign that it had ever existed. He didn't see the waterbender's eyes trail after his, but he heard her gasp. "No, no, no," she whispered. "This isn't right. Only Aang could have closed it."</p><p>"He did close it," replied Zuko, though he was pretty sure she hadn't been talking to him. Her eyes met his briefly before she turned away again, breathing, "He made it out." </p><p>Composing herself, her glare fixed itself on Zuko again as she spoke. "Well, trapped or not, you are the <em>last</em> person I want to be here with. I'm going to find another way out of here, and you aren't going to come after me." She turned around one last time and stalked further into the trees.</p><p>Zuko wasn't particularly keen on spending his time in the Spirit World with her, either, but he saw no choice in the matter. Standing up for the first time, he felt good as new. Even the exhaustion that overtook him earlier had dissipated.</p><p>He shook his head in wonderment and decided to trail the girl at a distance. If she did discover another way out, he would slip out after her unnoticed. </p>
<hr/><p>Katara trudged along, paying no attention to her surroundings as her mind raced. It hadn’t occurred to her earlier when she saw the beacon of light start to fade that it meant the portal was closing.</p><p>Her relief that Aang had made it out of the Spirit World far outweighed her fury that she was now trapped. He needed to save the world with or without her—if anything, her current dilemma was only proof that he did not need her. However, she couldn't help the hot anger that flooded her at the thought of not being able to do <em>something. </em>But here she was, stuck with Zuko, of all people. The thought of him creeping along behind her right now—and she guessed that he was—repulsed her. She had to find a way out.</p><p>Tears threatened to spill over as she made her way along a trail flanked by piles of flat black stones. The fine gravel beneath her feet reminded her of the volcanic soil of Roku's Island. It appeared to darken as she walked further, creating a strange gradient of black to...darker black. She was pulled from her thoughts of escape when she realized that the gradient extended beyond just the path. It seemed that the further along it she ventured, the darker her surroundings became. </p><p>Katara continued along apprehensively, and by the time the trail ended in front of a small spring, the world was dark as a moonless night. The only source of light came from the various pools of faintly-illuminated water that dotted the clearing. Suddenly feeling quite dehydrated, she made her way over to the nearest one. Briefly, she wondered if drinking unfamiliar Spirit World water was the most prudent thing for her to do, but her needs outweighed her logic.</p><p>She paused in her preparation to bend the water from the pool when she noticed her reflection displayed in its depths with remarkable clarity. Only, the reflection wasn't really her. The girl looked several years older than Katara was now. She wore her hair long and loose, in contrast with Katara's currently-braided hair. She was wearing only a long tunic that appeared much too large for her small frame. Its design and material were unlike anything she had ever seen. The girl's eyes were closed, her hair splayed out around her head and her breathing deep, as if she were asleep.</p><p>Bewildered, Katara moved to another pool, only to discover yet another crystalline image of herself. This new reflection was much more familiar to her. It was her, except she was about eight years younger than she was now. She was clutching her stomach, laughing hysterically. Katara smiled faintly before her eyes fixed on the burgundy and gold colors of the Fire Nation garb that adorned the girl's body. She jumped back from the water as if it had burned her. </p><p>She continued flitting between the pools for some time, staring at the images in each. Some were older, some younger. One of them looked about Katara's age, but she had dyed her hair a different color. A few were Water Tribe; a few more were Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom. She even saw an Air Nomad version of herself. Many of the reflections gave no indication of nationality, and some even appeared to be from a different time. All were in varying states of consciousness and moods. In a few of the pools, there was no reflection at all—a fact that disturbed and fascinated her simultaneously.</p><p>The clearing seemed to expand as she looked at each new version of herself, with more pools materializing before her eager eyes. Awestruck, she investigated the spring for what felt like hours. </p><p>Eventually, her exploration was interrupted by a noise coming from the trees at the edge of the clearing. </p>
<hr/><p>The spirit Xiànshí perched lazily atop a boulder, watching a young mortal prance around his spring.</p><p>It had been many years since he had last seen a human, and as a result, his existence had become quite dull. After all, how was one meant to be the guardian of a spring that never required guarding? Other spirits didn't bother visiting his domain—they, of course, had no reason to do so. The Spirit World was the anchor for all realities.</p><p>He looked on with idle interest as the girl discovered glimpses of the various planes of reality within which she existed. Her amazement became increasingly evident on her delicate features as she roamed from pool to pool.</p><p>Xiànshí sensed another presence enter the area. In the darkness of the trees just beyond the spring's edge, he could see another mortal, watching the girl. She apparently noticed him at the same time Xiànshí had because she suddenly raised the water from one of the pools and shouted, "I told you not to follow me!" So, the girl was a waterbender.</p><p>More intriguingly, she had clearly come with her physical body through the portal that had opened a few hours ago. Xiànshí watched her send a wall of water in the direction of the trees, and the boy was washed out, soaked and sputtering. The waterbender gave him no chance to respond as she released another gush of the sacred spring water that hit him squarely in the face.</p><p>Snarling, the boy shot blasts of fire at her in a series of punches and kicks—<em>ah, another bender</em>. She retaliated with more force, freezing the water into spikes before launching them toward him. He dodged, and they stabbed into the trees on the edge of the clearing.</p><p>At that moment, Xiànshí remembered that he despised humans. His annoyance mounted quickly as he watched them fight, destroying his spring. </p><p>The final straw for him came when the girl took water from every single pool and sent it crashing down on the boy in a vortex, leaving flooded chaos in her wake. Xiànshí decided then that it was time to intervene. </p><p>He had not had the opportunity to inflict punishment in years, and beneath his anger, he felt a thrill as he stretched his arms to their full length. He grabbed both of the humans, one in each fist. They had no time to do more than yelp in surprise before he dragged them down into one of the pools. A satisfying splash followed, and then all was quiet once more. </p><p>Xiànshí huffed out a sigh and relaxed back into his position on the boulder, smiling despite himself.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I've said it before and I'll say it again. Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter.</p><p>The next update might be slightly delayed, as I have to travel this week. Stay safe!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA or LoK.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Zuko was overcome with a sensation of falling slowly, as if through a vat of honey. It enveloped his body, rendering his limbs immobile. He could see nothing as he slipped further into the pool’s unknown depths. The only sound was his own ragged breathing, muffled through the murk. He opened his mouth to shout, but his voice was lost.</p><p>He mentally kicked himself as he fell. This never would have happened if he had been more careful. He could not dispel from his mind the image of the terrified look in the Water Tribe girl’s eyes as the gnarled hand from an unknown body pulled her into the pool’s depths.</p><p>Was she, too, experiencing this agonizingly slow descent, unseen in the abyss?</p><p>As his mind drifted, unconsciousness began to overtake him once again. The blackness around him began to swirl, and then nothing.</p><p>When he awoke next, he was lying in an unfamiliar bed. The mattress was lumpy and hard, but he was nestled into soft sheets and a thick quilt. The bed was pressed against a corner of a small room cast in the moonlight through a single, dusty window. Blinking in confusion, he sat up and fisted the material of the bed around him. Was he not in the Spirit World anymore?</p><p>Zuko had no time to investigate further because a noise to his right lifted him from his thoughts. He looked over to see none other than the waterbender sitting up in the bed next to him. She watched him through wide blue eyes, face pallid in the dim light.</p><p>Zuko made an unintelligible sound of shock and abruptly moved away from her to press himself into the corner, wishing at that moment that he could melt into it. The girl had surged out of the bed to get away from him but said nothing. She slowly tore her eyes from him to observe their surroundings. Zuko took that opportunity to do the same.</p><p>A small, raised futon was squeezed against the wall opposite the bed, framed by several potted plants. In the corner opposite the bed, Zuko could make out a metal stove. To the left of it were two cabinets topped with counters. One was piled high with pots and pans, and the other had a metal basin set into it. A cluttered shelf hung on the wall above. To the stove's right was a tall white box with a black handle on its front. In that wall was an entry with several locking mechanisms, one of three doors in the room. Another door with sliding panels stood slightly open to the right of the first door, and a third door further along the wall opened to a room Zuko could not see. A wooden table with two chairs took up the space between the bed and the kitchen. Most of the wall space in the room was occupied by bookshelves. In seemingly random places around the room, tiny red or blue lights shone and blinked, almost like fireflies frozen mid-flight. Clothing hung from hooks set into the wall next to the bed, and next to those hooks, one of the little blue lights reflected onto a full-length mirror. </p><p>Zuko set his gaze back upon the waterbender, who had turned to look at him from her place standing in the kitchen area. Despite the darkness, he could see that her face was screwed up in confusion as she said, “Zuko?”</p><p><em>Does she not recognize me?</em> His eyes narrowed. “Uhm…yes.”</p><p>The furrow in her brow only deepened, but her expression changed from confusion to something unreadable. “But…your face.”</p><p>“What are you talking about?” He demanded, instinctively bringing his hand up to touch his scar—only to recoil when its normally rough, leathery texture was smooth.</p><p>He lit a small flame in his palm and scrambled over the bed to stand in front of the mirror.</p><p>Zuko balked at the image staring back at him. The man standing there certainly looked like him, but it <em>wasn’t</em>. Instead of his tattered tunic, he wore only undershorts. The lack of clothing aside, something about his body was…different. His hair was slightly shorter. He looked bigger—more muscular and definitely taller. Impossibly, he looked older.</p><p>As he examined the reflection of his nearly naked body, he was suddenly painfully aware of the girl standing near the stove, looking at him with a combination of disbelief and disgust.</p><p>The distraction nearly made Zuko forget why he had rushed to the mirror in the first place. Then, his eyes panned up to his face, and he froze.</p><p>For a moment, Zuko could only gape at the person that he had not seen since he was 13—a ghost from his past, only the ghost had aged a decade. The mark that had defined his identity for three years was gone.</p><p>Zuko staggered back from the mirror, the flame in his hand extinguishing as he fell heavily into one of the chairs at the table. It creaked loudly as he sat. He gripped the place where the scar had been, rubbing and pinching the skin. Aside from a slight twinge at the touch of his hand, there was no trace of his father’s lesson.</p><p>A profound sense of relief washed over Zuko at the thought that he would, at least temporarily, not have a constant reminder of his failures permanently carved into his face. However, it was shortly followed by a bitter fury, rising like bile in his throat. He glared at the unblemished face in the mirror—the physical manifestation of a life Zuko no longer knew. What a cruel joke to erase the evidence of his struggle without also removing the burdens of his experience.</p><p>After closing his eyes and breathing out a puff of steam to regain his composure, he looked up at the waterbender, who herself had stepped in front of the mirror.</p><p>A gasp threatened to escape him when he spied the reflection from behind her. She, too, was different. Her facial features had become much more defined, the childlike roundness of her cheeks gone. Though she wore a long, loose tunic, it wasn’t difficult for Zuko to see the womanly figure that had developed from the girl’s lean frame.</p><p>Swallowing dryly, he forced his eyes back to her face. She caught him looking at her then, and she rearranged her expression of consternation into a scowl before she turned around to meet his gaze.</p><p>“That spring in the Spirit World showed me reflections of a bunch of different versions of myself. This version,” she gestured down to herself, “was the first one I saw.”</p><p>Zuko considered this for a moment before deciding her statement made no sense. “What does that mean?”</p><p>She exhaled and glanced back at the mirror. “All of the pools in that spring showed me reflections of myself living different lives. I saw a kid version of me as a Fire Nation girl.” The wince as she said that did not escape Zuko’s notice. “I saw myself as old as my Gran Gran, dressed in a strange new version of a Water Tribe dress. I also saw this,” she glanced down at herself again. “I think that by dragging us into that pool, the spirit may have forced us into the life I saw when I looked at the reflection.”</p><p>Zuko once more palmed the skin where his scar had been. “So, like an alternate reality?” He had remembered reading something about the term in school when he was young, but only in theory. He never imagined that one, let alone multiple, could actually exist.</p><p>She nodded, and he tentatively continued, “And in this reality, we…live together?” He chose not to broach the subject of sleeping in the same bed; despite the inevitable conclusion he found himself drawing from that fact.</p><p>She seemed to have come to a similar realization, and Zuko watched her face melt into abject horror. Shaking her head vigorously, as if attempting to dispel the thought, she spoke again with vitriol. “Not anymore, we don’t. Don’t think that just because we’re stuck here together, I plan to spend another second of my time with you.” She started to make her way toward the door near the kitchen, which Zuko assumed would lead out of the small apartment.</p><p>He recognized a familiar exasperation bubbling up inside him as his eyes followed her movements, but it wasn’t toward the girl. Rather, it was frustration at his own actions that had led her to loathe him as much as she did.</p><p>But he shook that thought from his head. If this Water Tribe peasant hadn’t attacked him in the spring, they wouldn’t be in this situation. He would be well on his way to finding Avatar Roku, or Fire Lord Sozin, <em>or…something</em>.</p><p>Half to herself, she whispered, “I can’t have more than a week to get back to Aang before—” she paused, seeming to suddenly remember where she was as she glanced at Zuko. Then she flung the door open, marching out into a dimly-lit stairwell.</p><p>“Before what?” Zuko called after her. “The solar eclipse?” She stopped and whirled around to peer at him incredulously.</p><p>Taking that as confirmation, he leaned against the doorway, glowering at her, and went on. “My sister has known about your plans to attack the Royal Palace during the eclipse for months, and she’s prepared for it accordingly. Your friends won’t stand a chance.”</p><p>Her entire body went rigid, and a heavy silence filled the air between them. Her gaze moved to the floor, her brows knit together, but only fleetingly. Suddenly, her head snapped up, and her blue eyes burned into him. Tears had filled them but didn’t spill.</p><p>“I can’t believe that I ever, for one <em>second</em>, thought you had changed—that maybe your uncle had gotten through to you, somehow.” Zuko flinched as he recalled her similar words under Ba Sing Se.</p><p>“You…you’re pure <em>evil</em>.” Her words dripped with hatred, making him squirm as he took a step back into the apartment.</p><p>She looked like she wanted to say more—or flood the building—but decided he wasn’t worth it. Instead, she took off down the stairs, leaving Zuko with a sensation not unlike being slapped across the face.</p><hr/><p><em>They knew. They had known all along.</em> Someone must have told Azula while she was posing as a Kyoshi Warrior. Was it the Earth King? One of the generals?</p><p>It didn’t matter. Aang, Sokka, Toph, her dad—all of the people Katara loved were walking into a trap, and she had no way to warn them.</p><p>The image of her reflection plagued her as she hurtled down the stairs. Not only was she trapped in this world, but she was also trapped in this unfamiliar body—even if it was her own. White-hot rage coursed through her as she recalled Zuko’s ogling at her under-clothed figure through the mirror.</p><p>The tears that had been threatening to spill over finally did when she reached the bottom of the stairs and slumped to the floor. She heard the click of the door to the apartment, closing three levels above and clenched her fists as the prince’s words replayed in her mind over and over again.</p><p>Katara hadn’t realized until then that she had been holding onto a small amount of faith in Zuko’s capacity for integrity. Whatever shred of that she had left had just disappeared, but she couldn’t think about that now. Her family was in danger, and what he had told her was all the more reason for her to start thinking about solutions. She took a steadying breath as she sorted through her troubled mind.</p><p>Maybe she would find a way out of this reality before the eclipse. After all, time did work differently in the Spirit World. Though, she supposed she was no longer in the Spirit World. Was the Katara she replaced trapped there, now? Was the only way out to rely on the other Katara to enter the pool?</p><p>No—there had to be a better way. If it was possible for a spirit portal to be opened in her world, surely it was possible in this one.</p><p>Shouldn’t the Spirit World transcend these alternate universes? Katara imagined that it acted as a connector, of sorts, for all of the different realities. Maybe she would find Aang in this reality, and he could open another spirit portal. <em>Yes, of course.</em> That was how she would do it. Hope swelled in her chest as she stood up, wiping the stray tears from her cheeks.</p><p>Briefly, she scanned her surroundings. The bottom of the narrow stairs upon which Katara sat ended midway along a narrow hallway. A thin layer of grime covered nearly every battered, chipped surface. Behind the stairs, a door led to what looked like a back garden. Next to them was a large metal square set into the wall. It had small slots and indents set in a grid as if made of individual boxes. Above each slot was a number. She decided to file away her puzzlement about that for later. In front of her was a black, heavy-looking wooden door. That was surely the way out of the building. Hesitantly, she approached the door and pushed it open.</p><p>Katara stepped out onto a gray, smooth stone walkway—it was filthy, which she was beginning to notice was a recurring theme. She realized then that her feet were bare, but no such plight was worth going back upstairs. Treading carefully was her only option.</p><p>One of the first things to catch her attention was the smell. Aang’s voice filled her mind, describing the onion banana juice he drank with the guru at the Eastern Air Temple. Katara imagined that this was what that smelled like as her eyes began to water. The source appeared to be the large pile of black sacks tossed haphazardly onto the side of the walkway, bumble flies buzzing around it. Never having seen so much garbage, Katara’s lip curled in disgust. Holding her breath, she turned to examine the rest of the street, and immediately sucked in that breath, the smell forgotten.</p><p>The buildings that lined the decidedly urban street were unlike anything she had ever seen. The closest comparison she could make would be those of the Lower Ring of Ba Sing Se, but that was still a stretch. Each of the structures was roughly the same shape, height, and width. It created a uniformity that didn’t exist anywhere in the Earth Kingdom capital. The fronts of them were occupied by scattered metal balconies, connected by stairs. They were roughly as tall as the mid-tier towers of the Southern Air Temple, but she could see even taller buildings looming in the distance behind them. There seemed to be a standard blueprint for the framework of the buildings on this street, but that was where the similarities ended. The colors, designs, and ages varied considerably among the edifices as if each were built during a different era. Despite the presumably late hour, many of the windows were lit.</p><p>Without a particular destination in mind, Katara’s curiosity carried her feet along the sparsely tree-lined road. The smelly garbage piles took up much of the available space, so she moved to the center of the street, where the gray stone turned to an almost pliant black gravel. Parts of this section of the road were painted with white symbols. Signs advertising various restaurants and shops stuck out over the walkway, but most entrances to said shops were blocked by large metal sheets. The sheets themselves were painted over with designs and words Katara didn’t recognize.</p><p>There were other, free-standing signs closer to the center of the street, but she did not bother attempting to decipher them. Ahead of her at a crossroads, she could see a set of three red lights suspended in the air. In the distance, there were faint sounds of voices and another noise like an unfamiliar musical instrument. The cityscape seemed to be unending, and the strangeness of it all was very quickly becoming overwhelming.</p><p>A noise like an animal growling, then a deafening roar snapped Katara’s gaze back to the street in front of her. She was momentarily blinded by two spotlights, and a voice screamed, “Get out of the road, lunatic!” She dove out of the way as the machine, which impossibly also seemed to be the source of the voice, rocketed past her.</p><p>Landing in one of the garbage piles, she gawked at the wheeled contraption as it raced down the road, but by this point, she was utterly unable to process what she was seeing. Belatedly, she realized that the blaring sound it had made was the same musical sound she had thought she heard in the distance moments ago. She shuddered at the thought that there were more rolling death machines where that came from.</p><p>Katara ran a hand through her long, tangled hair. <em>What am I doing?</em> She was never going to find Aang by wandering around aimlessly. She needed to plan, and more immediately, she needed to bathe. Surely somewhere in this maze, she could find temporary housing.</p><p>Rising to dust herself off, she noticed for the first time that a man had been watching her from his position leaning against one of the metal blockades of a closed storefront. His black clothing made him nearly invisible in the shadow of the awning. He grinned toothily at her when she caught his gaze. “Hey, beautiful.”</p><p>Innocent as the compliment was, there was something about his tone that made Katara bristle. She gave him a close-lipped smile and nodded curtly, turning to head back in the direction she had come. She heard footsteps follow after her as the man called out, “Where you going, baby? I just want to talk!” She ignored him, and the footsteps behind her quickened their pace.</p><p>Callused fingers wrapped around her wrist, and a cold shiver ran up her spine at the contact. Fuming, she whipped around. The man’s grip on her wrist did not slacken. Once again, she mentally berated herself for not bringing along any water until another thought occurred to her. This was a city—surely, there would be water all around her, underground, flowing in pipes.</p><p>A slow smile spread across Katara’s face, and the man seemed to take that as an invitation. “Let’s go have some fun, yeah?” he cooed.</p><p>The next thing he knew, a hunk of metal attached to the street burst, and he was knocked back by a wall of water. “What the fuck?!” Katara could hear him spluttering as she took off sprinting down the street, laughing gleefully to herself.</p><p>However, she stopped short when a sharp pain cut into the bottom of her foot like glass. Gasping, she leaned against a wall to assess the damage. As it turned out, there was an actual piece of glass, nearly the size of her hand, lodged into her foot. So much for treading carefully.</p><p>Blood oozed crimson around the shard and began to drip onto the ground. Knowing she couldn’t heal the wound until she removed the glass, she closed her eyes, bracing herself. The warm stickiness flowed onto her hand as she grasped the shard and pulled, but it wouldn’t budge. She hissed and cried out as another stab of pain shot up her leg.</p><p>Panting, she closed her eyes and crumpled to the ground. The blood was beginning to pool around her, quicker than she would have thought possible. Her vision became slightly splotchy. If not for the amount of pain she was in, she would have laughed at her situation’s absurdity. She was sitting in a puddle of her own blood, in a body that was hers but not really hers, wearing only a slightly too big shirt that she had a sneaking suspicion was not hers, stuck in this dirty, smelly place with—</p><p>“Uhm. Katara?” She squinted around, only to find Zuko’s concerned golden eyes peering down at her. He sounded breathless, like he'd just been running. Behind him, the light of dawn had begun to peak over the tops of the buildings.</p><p>“Ah. Speak of the devil,” she regarded him vaguely and noted that it was the first time he had ever said her name.</p><p>“You’ve lost a lot of blood. I’m taking you back inside.”</p><p>Dizzily, she looked around herself. <em>Wow, excellent deduction skills there, Zuko.</em> Only when he didn’t respond did she realize she had not said those words aloud. Then, she felt herself being lifted off the ground. “Don’t touch me,” she tried to say, but he didn’t seem to hear.</p><p>Her foot throbbed agonizingly at the shift in gravity, and she hissed from the pain. Zuko’s pace quickened as he entered the apartment building and started a brisk climb upstairs. In their proximity, she could see his pulse hammering in his neck, and the small amount of stubble clinging to his jawline</p><p>Using his hips, he shoved the door open and carried her straight through to the washroom at the back of the apartment. There was a small tub there, hidden behind a curtain. Pulling it aside, he set her down gently and turned a handle attached to a spout. Cold water poured into the tub. Forgetting the pain for a moment, Katara stared at it in wonder. Clearly, Zuko had made some discoveries of his own about this place in her absence.</p><p>She noticed now that he wore an all-black ensemble of loose pants and a long-sleeved, hooded top. It was a welcome change from his earlier attire. He was nearly unrecognizable with his older appearance and the absence of his scar.</p><p>The water turned an unpleasant brown color as it mixed with her blood, and probably garbage juice. Her tunic billowed out around her, and she weakly tried to pull it back down. Zuko, however, paid that no mind as he knelt down to examine her foot.</p><p>“I think I can pull it out if you loosen it with your waterbending.”</p><p>Katara tentatively nodded. Despite the wave of nausea that came with the movement, she sat up to better position herself. Focusing on the water surrounding the wound, she made a clawed, closing motion with her hands, forcing the water to buoy the shard of glass. She winced as it started to come loose.</p><p>Zuko evidently took that as his cue because she felt one of his hands firmly grip her foot while the other took hold of the glass. He yanked once, hard, and Katara exhaled sharply as the shard slid out. He tossed it into the smaller water basin on the other side of the tub and more closely examined the wound.</p><p>Seemingly satisfied, he placed her foot back into the water and leveled his gaze back on her face. “Looks like we got all of it out. I don’t see any other pieces.” It was all the confirmation she needed, and she pulled the water back around the still-bleeding gash.</p><p>The familiar blue glow of her healing hands reflected off the washroom’s all-white surfaces, casting the whole room in it.</p><p>She watched Zuko’s eyes widen as he stared transfixed at the site where the glass had been. When the pain subsided and she knew her work was done, Katara relaxed back into the tub, closing her eyes for a moment before she heard Zuko stand.</p><p>Glancing at him once more, she mumbled, “Thanks.” He nodded and left the room without another word, closing the door behind him.</p><hr/><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Zuko paced the length of the apartment, which, to his dismay, was about five steps. The sun was now in the middle of the sky, reflecting in the windows of the absurdly tall building he could see through his own tiny window.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Though he had gotten only a brief view of the outside world when he went out looking for the girl, it was enough to thoroughly rattle him. Whatever he was meant to discover when he journeyed to the Spirit World, he was certain that it wasn’t this. Exhaling slowly and pinching the bridge of his nose, he shut his eyes tightly.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He shuddered at the thought of what might have happened had he not found her when he did. Repaying her for what she did in the Spirit World tempered this crushing guilt, if only slightly. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Her hostility toward him aside, she was all he had in this new reality. Zuko was used to facing challenges alone, but this was a different beast entirely. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Azula’s smirking face flashed in his mind. There were certainly worse people to be stuck with. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He moved to sit on the futon’s edge, bouncing his knees as he raked his hands roughly over his face. Too late, he realized that he was covered in the waterbender’s blood.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">At that moment, he heard the door to the washroom open. In case she was indecent, he kept his head down. <em>No chance she catches me looking at her again. </em></span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">After a moment, the sound of her voice caused him to look up. She had changed into an old shirt with loose gray pants that tied around the waist. “I’m starting to realize that it will take me a lot longer to get out of here if I’m doing it on my own. Not to mention, I don’t think I have anywhere else to go.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">As her words sank in, Zuko couldn’t help the relief he felt, but he kept his expression neutral. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She continued calmly, “I have every intention of getting out of here before the eclipse. If you get in the way of that, I will not hesitate to stop you, using whatever means necessary.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Zuko’s eyes narrowed. He, frankly, didn’t care if she got out before the eclipse, as long as he got out with her. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Before he could respond, they were interrupted by a strange vibrating noise coming from somewhere in the room. He had heard it earlier, while she was gone, but wasn’t able to find the source. He felt her eyes on him as he searched the room again, mumbling to himself as he went. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Finally, he found it wedged between the bed and the wall. </span>
</p><p>The tiny black box had stopped vibrating as soon as he picked it up. Turning it over in his hands, his eyebrows shot into his hairline. It had suddenly lit up, and he saw an image of himself and the waterbender. She had her arms wrapped snuggly around his waist, and they were both beaming. <em>Is this some kind of hyperrealistic painting?</em></p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He had no more time to process what he was looking at because among the words that partially blocked the image was a sight that nearly caused him to drop the device.</span>
</p><p class="p1"><b>Uncle Iroh<br/></b> <span class="s1">Missed Call (6)</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1"> <b>Uncle Iroh</b><br/></span> <span class="s1">Voicemail</span></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. I'm not sure how I feel about it, so please write me some feedback. I'd love to hear from you!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA or LoK.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>For several moments, Zuko could only stare uncomprehendingly at the words. Uncle was here, somehow, and trying to contact him. His mind whirled. Perhaps Zuko <em>was</em> supposed to end up in this place, and his uncle knew to meet him here. Maybe he could guide Zuko toward whatever it was he needed to find, then help him get back to his own life.</p><p>He sat on the bed gingerly, examining the object until the sound of the waterbender’s voice came from next to him. He nearly jumped out of his skin, not having heard her approach. “What is that? Is—does that say ‘Uncle Iroh’?”</p><p>Zuko turned to her with wide eyes and could only nod dumbly. She was looking at the small instrument in his hands, her brows pulled together. Suddenly her hand reached out to touch it, and the image changed.</p><p>The word from before, ‘Voicemail,’ was displayed above a list of names and numbers against a white background. Uncle’s name was at the top of the list, and there was a small blue dot next to it.</p><p>“How did you do that?” demanded Zuko, still gawking at the device. From the corner of his eye, he saw the girl shrug. “I just poked it to see what would happen.”</p><p><em>Huh. Okay.</em> Shaking his head, Zuko touched Uncle Iroh’s name, and the image changed again. He could not decipher any of the symbols that appeared, but he did hear the unmistakable sound of his uncle’s gravelly voice.</p><p>“Zuko, it’s me. Where are you?” Zuko started to respond but was cut off when Uncle kept speaking. “Your shift started an hour ago. Did you oversleep again? Call me right away.”</p><p>Nothing that Zuko had just heard made sense to him. He glanced at the girl, who shrugged again. “Maybe you should call him.”</p><p>He scoffed. “Oh, excellent advice. Let me just <em>call </em>him. What does that even mean?”</p><p>There was no need to find out because the thing started vibrating in his hand once again. It lit up with the word ‘TranquiliTea’ shown at the top. A red circle on the bottom left said ‘Decline’ and a green circle on the right said ‘Accept’.</p><p>He panicked. “What do I do?!”</p><p>She rolled her eyes. “Obviously, you should accept it.” She pressed her finger to the green circle.</p><p>The picture changed again, and Zuko was beginning to feel that the learning curve of this place might be too steep for him. Then, Uncle’s voice rang out once again. “Hello? Zuko, are you there?”</p><p>His heart soared. “Uncle!”</p><p>“Zuko, I can hardly hear you. Did you put me on speakerphone?”…Speakerphone? He brought his face closer to the device. “Hello? Uncle, can you hear me?”</p><p>“Ah, that’s much better. Are you okay? Where are you? Why haven’t you been answering my calls?”</p><p>Zuko glanced at the waterbender, who was watching him coolly. “Umm. I’m fine.” He didn’t know how to answer the second question, so he repeated it. “Where are you?”</p><p>There was a pause, and for a despairing moment, Zuko thought Uncle was gone, but then he spoke again with a twinge of confusion in his tone. “Zuko, I’ve been waiting for you at the shop for over an hour. You know we can’t open until you get here, and there are customers outside. Did you forget about your shift?”</p><p>So, this Zuko worked for his uncle—he glanced again at the word ‘TranquiliTea’—in a tea shop. <em>Go figure.</em></p><p>“Uh. No! Of course not. I’ll be there soon. Sorry, Uncle.” Perhaps the Iroh he knew had not planned to meet Zuko here, but surely the other one could somehow help him.</p><p>“Not to worry. I’m just glad you’re alright. See you soon.” A beeping sound rang out from the device, and the Voicemail list appeared once again.</p><p>He turned to meet the girl’s gaze. Her eyes were narrowed in suspicion. “Off to work, then?”</p><p>He glared at her. “Look, I want to get out of here as much as you do. If anyone here can help us, it’s my uncle.”</p><p>She held his stare for a moment longer, then seemed to accept his response. Without another word, she stood and stalked in the direction of the kitchen, for seemingly no other reason than to be as far from Zuko as the space allowed. He was too anxious to respond with anything but a sigh.</p><p>Rummaging through the drawers under the bed, he found a new black shirt and a pair of gray pants. The latter looked similar to those that the waterbender was wearing. He made his way to the washroom, resisting the urge to peek over at her as he did so. After quickly changing into the clean clothes, he moved to the water basin. Washing the last traces of dried blood from his arms, he glanced again at his reflection in the small mirror that hung there.</p><p>
  <em>I used to think this scar marked me—the mark of the Banished Prince, cursed to chase the Avatar forever. But lately, I’ve realized I’m free to determine my own destiny, even if I’ll never be free of my mark.</em>
</p><p>He had made several choices about his destiny since then—choices he wasn’t sure were entirely his own. Now, here he was, finally free of that cursed mark, untethered by it. Was this his chance to finally, <em>finally</em> choose his own destiny?</p><p>Maybe he was supposed to accept this new challenge. After all, he had wished for years for that scar to disappear. He would never forget the feeling in his chest when the waterbender had offered to heal it.</p><p>He tore his eyes away from the mirror and stepped back through to the main room. There was no time, now, to contemplate his place in this world or any other world. Uncle was waiting for him.</p><p>Electing to take the vibrating device with him if Uncle contacted him again, he pocketed it and made for the front door. As he opened it, his eyes fell back onto her. She was sitting at the small wooden table examining another of the little devices, identical to his. He briefly wondered how many more of them there might be in the apartment.</p><p>“See you,” he murmured. She looked up and nodded curtly before returning her attention to the object of her focus. Next to the door, Zuko caught sight of two small sets of keys hanging on a hook. Grabbing one on his way out, he hurried down the stairs and outside.</p><p>Zuko noticed immediately that the street was far busier during the day. People strolled along the walkway. Some of them walked in pairs or with animals of varying sizes on leashes. He observed a significant increase in the number of vehicles racing by that looked somewhat like less-armored versions of Fire Nation war tanks. A few smaller vehicles rolled along in their own marked section of the road. The riders perched on seats, suspended above two wheels, gripping onto a bar attached to the front and pedaling to keep the wheels turning. All of the shops that had been closed early that morning were open and bustling. Nearly everyone crowding the walkway had a little vibrating device, and many of them stared down at theirs as they walked.</p><p>He had seen enough now to draw the conclusion that questioning his surroundings would turn his brain to soup, so he chose to merely accept what he was seeing.</p><p>Surveying the street, Zuko realized he had absolutely no idea where his uncle’s tea shop was. Determining that trying to find his own way would likely be a waste of time, he approached a girl walking toward him that looked a few years older than he was—or, he supposed, she was his age in this reality.</p><p>“Excuse me,” he called to her. Her expression was wary as she pulled what looked like two strings out of her ears and regarded him. “I’m looking for a tea shop. It’s called, uh, TranquiliTea. Do you know where that is?”</p><p>The woman visibly relaxed after hearing his question. “Sorry, I don’t.” Perhaps something in his face seemed to convince her to help him further because she stopped to pull out her device. It was connected, somehow, to the ear strings. “TranquiliTea, you said?” He nodded, and her thumbs rapidly tapped the thing in her hands.</p><p>“According to my phone, it’s on Guoyuan and Stanton, about three blocks that way,” she pointed down the street. “Turn right up there, and walk another two blocks.”</p><p>Truthfully, Zuko could not hope to understand her instructions. Still, he was pleased to know now what the little vibrating device was called. He gave her a small smile and thanked her without pressing her to clarify what she said.</p><p>He assumed a ‘block’ marked each crossing in the road, where the miniature war tanks zoomed by, and the little signs told him to stop or walk. He had figured that last part out by watching other people do it, though some people walked despite the sign telling them to stop. So, he would cross three of those intersections, then turn right to cross another two of them.</p><p>
  <em>Easy enough.</em>
</p><p>As he made to turn toward where the woman had pointed, the sound of her voice stopped him. He had not noticed that she was still standing there, now scrutinizing him.</p><p>“Hey. Are you by chance related to Ozai Nakaya?”</p><p>Zuko’s eyes widened a fraction. Maybe it was just a coincidence. “Uh, no.”</p><p>Her face fell. “Oh. Well, you look just like him. I bet you get that a lot.” After a brief pause, he nodded stiffly. The woman seemed to sense his discomfort and gave him a slight wave before walking away.</p><p>Zuko released the breath he didn’t realize he was holding. It didn’t occur to him that his father could be here, too. He would need to interrogate Uncle about that later.</p><hr/><p>Iroh stepped back into the shop with a sigh after having gone out to apologize again to the waiting customers.</p><p>“I can work the register for a while until Zuko gets here. Everything’s all ready to go back here.”</p><p>Iroh smiled warmly at his son. “That’s alright, Lu Ten. I’m sure he will be here any minute. I’ll just have him close a little bit later than usual tonight.”</p><p>As if on cue, his nephew stumbled into the shop, staring around dazedly. He was wearing sweatpants and had the disheveled look of someone who had just rolled out of bed. When his gaze met Iroh’s, he appeared to do a double-take. “Uncle,” he breathed.</p><p>“Good morning, Zuko,” he greeted with a slight frown. “You don’t look so good. Are you sure you’re feeling alright?” Iroh edged toward his nephew to place a hand on his shoulder.</p><p>Lu Ten snickered as he emerged from the back room. “Got a little too busy with Katara last night, eh?”</p><p>Iroh shot his son a glare before turning back to Zuko, who was now looking at his cousin like he was seeing a ghost. He stayed that way for several seconds, and the lengthening silence was quickly becoming uncomfortable. Iroh knew his nephew to be an exceedingly sensitive person, but surely he was used to Lu Ten’s teasing by now.</p><p><em>“Lu Ten?”</em> Zuko whispered as if saying the name any louder would cause his cousin to disappear.</p><p>Lu Ten shifted uncomfortably under his cousin’s stare. “Umm. Yeah. In the flesh. You good there, Zuko?”</p><p>Iroh squeezed where his hand still rested on his nephew’s shoulder. Zuko looked down and blinked a few times, seeming to collect himself before, with evident effort, he smiled. “Yeah, sorry. Just didn’t sleep well.” He shrugged Iroh’s hand off and headed toward the back room, taking a punch in the arm from Lu Ten as he went. Iroh glanced apprehensively at his son, who merely shrugged before returning to the pot of boba on the stove.</p><p>After a gentle reminder that it was Zuko’s job to work the register, Iroh watched him with deepening concern for the next hour. It was as if he had never seen, let alone operated, the machine in his life. The first time a customer handed him a credit card, he looked at them like they were from another planet. There was no improvement when customers paid by cash—he wasn’t giving anyone their correct change. On top of it all, several customers complained that their orders were incorrect.</p><p>A long line was beginning to form in front of the register, and Iroh had never witnessed Zuko look so flustered. At one point, he could have sworn he saw steam puff out of the young man’s nose.</p><p>Iroh could take no more of seeing his nephew struggle, so he offered to step in for a while. “I think you could use a break,” he murmured. He nodded apologetically to the customer who had been waiting nearly five minutes for Zuko to enter her order into the system. He seemed more than happy to let his uncle take over, but he did not go to the back where Lu Ten was brewing the tea. Instead, he stood next to Iroh to carefully observe his every move, brows pulled together in concentration.</p><p>Zuko’s break ended up lasting for the remainder of his shift. As soon as Iroh thanked the final customer of the evening for coming and the ‘Open’ sign was turned off, he rounded on his nephew, who had taken to sweeping the floor—albeit forgetting to use a dustpan.</p><p>“Zuko, this is not the behavior of someone who ‘just didn’t sleep well’.”</p><p>The boy chewed his lip, looking thoroughly overwhelmed as he considered Iroh. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but then glanced at his cousin and closed it. Iroh continued, “Whatever it is, I can help you. Just talk to me.”</p><p>“I just…have a lot on my mind,” Zuko murmured, at last, eyes turned to the floor.</p><p>Lu Ten, who had paused the cleanup process in the back, appeared in the doorway then and scoffed. “More like, you completely forgot how to function as a human being. What <em>was</em> that? We can’t afford to lose customers just because you’re having some kind of breakdown.”</p><p>Iroh winced at the harsh words, expecting an argument to unfold. Zuko, however, just watched his cousin with that same mystified expression from earlier.</p><p>Eventually, he sighed, ignoring Lu Ten's remark to turn fully to face his uncle. “When is my next shift?”</p><p>Iroh decided not to reveal his concern over his nephew suddenly forgetting his own work schedule. “Well, it’s at 8 AM tomorrow, but maybe you should take a few days off.”</p><p>Zuko shook his head. “I’ll be here. This won’t happen again.” Without another word, he strode out the door and into the night.</p><p>“Didn’t even bother to stay for cleanup,” said Lu Ten with overt annoyance. Iroh glowered at him in response before grabbing the vacuum from the small supply closet behind the register. “He is clearly in distress.”</p><p>The sound of the vacuum drowned out Lu Ten’s obnoxious rap music, leaving Iroh to ponder as he cleaned under the small seating area near the front counter. Recalling Zuko’s bewildered response to seeing his cousin that morning, he decided that it might be best to remove that factor from the equation to get to the bottom of his nephew’s troubles.</p><p>“Lu Ten,” he called, turning off the noisy machine. “Why don’t you take tomorrow off?”</p><hr/><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">As soon as the door closed, Katara sagged in the chair. Zuko created a nearly suffocating tension when he was in the room. So, she was grateful that he would be gone for the rest of the day, even if she couldn’t keep an eye on him. Besides, the likelihood that he and his uncle were going to scheme against her was admittedly low. In fact, she rather admired General Iroh. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Turning her attention back to the device on the table, she pressed the next little square that made up the picture. After having decided that learning as much as possible about this world and its technological mysteries would only help her mission move faster, she had spent the last few minutes repeating this action. Katara found, to her surprise, that using the device became relatively intuitive as she continued her probing. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">This next function of her focus was the calendar. It was certainly unlike any other calendar she had seen. Rather than a celestial map, it showed her a schedule of the day in the form of a list. Each item in the list was highlighted for its allotted amount of time. If she tapped the subsequent dates at the top of the image, the respective schedules appeared. Had someone else created this calendar, or had she done it herself? Two things caught Katara’s immediate attention: the schedules were packed, and they were planned exceptionally far in advance. After several fruitless minutes of tapping through the dates to find the next empty day, she gave up and touched tomorrow’s date—a Monday—then began studying the agenda.</span>
</p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">‘REMINDER – Rent Due Friday<br/></span> <span class="s1">All Day’</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">‘Zuko: TranquiliTea<br/></span> <span class="s1">8 AM – 4 PM’</span></p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Her eyes rolled. Of course this alternate Katara had merged Zuko’s schedule with her own.</span>
</p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">‘Katara: Departmental Meeting<br/></span> <span class="s1">9:30 AM – 11 AM’</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">‘Katara: Brainstorm<br/></span> <span class="s1">11:30 AM – 12:30 PM’</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">‘Katara: Mentor Lunch<br/></span> <span class="s1">12:30 PM – 1:15 PM’</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">‘Katara: Market Planning<br/></span> <span class="s1">2:30 PM – 3:00 PM’</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">‘Katara: Web Review<br/></span> <span class="s1">4:00 PM – 5:00 PM’</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">‘Katara/Zuko: Dinner Reservation<br/></span> <span class="s1">@ Hidden Jewel<br/></span> <span class="s1">7:00 PM – 9:00 PM’</span></p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Her disappointment in the other Katara’s judgment grew as she made a mental note to cancel that last item, shaking her head in disgust. She was, however, grateful for the organization of the calendar. She was fondly reminded of Sokka’s insistence that the group stays on schedule ahead of the eclipse. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Only half-succeeding at stifling the panic that rose in her chest at the thought of the eclipse, she examined the line items more carefully. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">While the other items on her schedule did not make sense to her, they did illustrate one certainty: Zuko was not the only one with a job—though hers seemed much different from his. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She was nearly resolved not to make an appearance at said job, but had caught the alert at the top of the agenda, reminding her that rent would be due on Friday. That surely meant the rent for the apartment in which she…and <em>Zuko</em>…currently resided. </span>
</p><p>With any luck, she would be out of this world and back to her life by Friday. However, even if she did make it out by then, the Katara of this reality will have missed several days of work. The idea of depriving her of the money she would need to make rent set alight an uncomfortable pang of guilt in Katara’s stomach. Going to work would also further assist her in her quest for knowledge of this place…</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Saving that decision for later, she decided then to abandon her exploration of the small device in favor of poking around the apartment. A heavy-looking black bag made of fabric that had frayed in places lay nearby. She heaved it onto the table and emptied it of its contents. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">There was a thin, rectangular-shaped metal item, imprinted on which was the same image of a half-bitten fruit as the device she had just been tinkering with. This larger device seemed to constitute the majority of the weight from the pack. The rest of the items did not quite pique Katara’s interest. There was a container of water, some parchment bound together with a few hastily-scrawled notes, and several paper wrappers for some kind of candy. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">With a sigh, she began to repack the bag, save for the metal object, until a small piece of folded leather caught her attention. It had been half-hidden amongst the other scattered items. Opening its folds, she found an array of uniformly-shaped cards, organized neatly into slots. One of the slots was transparent, displaying what appeared to be Zuko’s passport. It looked much different from the ones she had once seen refugees carry at Full Moon Bay while attempting to get on the ferry to Ba Sing Se. </span>
</p><p class="p1">She wedged the card out of the slot to examine it. There was another of the strange life-like pictures in the top left corner. Katara inhaled sharply. The Zuko in the picture was younger. In fact, he looked closer in age to the Zuko she was familiar with. He wore a close-lipped smile, and there was a twinkling innocence in his eyes that Katara imagined had burned out of the Zuko she knew long ago. It brought to mind a question that she often had wondered about since their first encounter with the banished prince: what—or who—gave him that scar? The words he had said to her in the Crystal Catacombs floated to her awareness, but she quickly banished the thoughts.</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">With effort, she was able to make some sense of the other words on the passport. The top read ‘Da Ping Guo State Driver License’. Below it, in smaller font, was ‘Nakaya, Zuko F’, followed by an address written in a peculiar format. Katara assumed it was the location of this apartment. Several other bits of his personal information were listed, some with abbreviations she could not decipher. Idly, she noted that Zuko’s birthday was coming up. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Before she could move on to the other cards stored in the leather container, a buzzing noise sounded from the device left abandoned on the far side of the table. Thinking of the result when Zuko’s had done the same, she surged out of the chair to check it.</span>
</p><p class="p1"><span class="s1"> <em>Messages<br/></em></span> <b>Sokka<br/></b> <span class="s1">iMessage</span></p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Heart fluttering, she tapped the words and waited a moment for the display to change. Sokka’s name appeared at the top, along with words surrounded by a gray bubble. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">‘<em>Helloooooo. In the neighborhood. Mind if I stop by?’</em></span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Her grin stretched from ear to ear as she read the message. If Zuko was going to have an ally in this reality, so would she. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">In the middle of the display was the word ‘Send’, and below it was a blank space. Frowning in consternation for what felt like the hundredth time that day, she tapped the empty space. Her finger left a small black dot in its wake as if she had drawn it. A satisfied smirk replaced the grimace, and she began to draw out the symbols she needed for her response. Once the message was written out, she pressed ‘Send’. It wasn’t perfect, but that didn’t matter as long as Sokka understood. Her words appeared above in a blue bubble.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">‘<em>Nope come over’</em></span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">His response came quickly.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> <em>‘Sweet. Be there in a few.’</em> </span>
</p><p class="p1">In an attempt to distract herself from the anticipation of Sokka's imminent arrival, Katara rose from the table and began toying with more things in the apartment at random. She jumped slightly as a flame appeared on the stove when she turned one of the dials underneath it, and decided quickly to move on to the large white box next to it. She opened it and was pleasantly surprised when it emitted cold air that reminded her of home. It was stocked with food, and her stomach's responding growl told her that she had yet to eat since waking up here.</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She continued flitting around the apartment, turning knobs and pressing buttons at random, finding enjoyment in simply trying things to learn about them. It occurred to her during her exploration that there did not seem to be a need for bending in this place. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A knock soon sounded at the door. Katara bounded over and flung it open to let her brother inside. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What’s up, little sis?” He pulled her in for a brief hug, then walked over to fling himself across the futon. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Katara took a moment to scrutinize his appearance. His hair was short, the wolf tail nowhere to be seen. Though, there was still more hair at the top of his head than where it faded into his neck at the bottom. He wore a baggy white shirt and black pants made of a rough-looking fabric. Her eyes widened at the dark ink of the tattoos covering most of his left arm. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Earth to Katara!” Sokka’s waving arms forced her eyes back to his face. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh! Um. Nothing much. What brought you to the neighborhood?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He picked up the white bag she hadn’t seen him carry in. “Zui was having a sale.” At the confusion on Katara’s face, he continued. “You know, the skate shop.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Feigning understanding, she nodded and moved to perch on the edge of the bed. “So, how was your day?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It was evidently the correct question to ask because Sokka launched into a detailed explanation of his entire day thus far. Katara listened with rapt attention as he talked her through what he ate for breakfast that morning and grumbled something about his boss asking him to resubmit some floor plans. The train broke down, so he had to walk the last few blocks to Zui, so now his feet were sore. He was craving an iced coffee. The more he spoke, the more questions she had. She was hesitant to ask them, unsure if she was ready to reveal herself as an imposter—or whatever it was she should call herself.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I can heal your feet if you want,” she said once he had finished. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">His brows pulled together. “Huh?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You said they were sore,” she pointed out, though she was beginning to regret having said anything.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He laughed lightly. “What are you going to do, slap a Band-Aid on them?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>Do people really not bend here? </em>She chuckled nervously before changing the subject. “Hey, are you busy tomorrow? Want to walk me to work?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">In truth, she was asking him because she had no idea where her work was located. Thankfully, this Sokka’s mannerisms seemed similar to the brother she knew. Her question would hopefully coax a response from him without her having to outright ask.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Her words seemed to throw him. “Are you joking? I have a job too, you know. Why don’t you have Zuko walk you 60 blocks to work?” The last question dripped with sarcasm.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>Okay, we’re getting somewhere.</em> “I just thought we could use more quality sibling time. Plus, I know you love that little restaurant next door to my work. We could grab breakfast there. What’s it called again?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sokka’s face lit up. <em>Jackpot.</em> “Oh man, you mean Changpu? They have the best bagels…” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Seeming to snap himself out of it, he shook his head. “Sorry Katara, maybe some other day.” She had what she needed, though, so she simply shrugged in response, making a mental note.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They sat for awhile in comfortable silence while Sokka stared at his own little device.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He spoke again. “Hey, do you want to watch Housewives? We have to catch up before the new season premieres!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Katara looked at him like he had grown a second head, but he didn’t notice as he rose to make his way toward the rectangular metal device she had left on the table. She observed him as he…unfolded it?<em> Interesting</em>. The display lit up.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh, this is Zuko’s computer. What’s his password?” Sokka asked, eying her over his shoulder. She balked at him, unsure if he was still speaking the same language. “Uh—I don’t know?” she responded at last.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sokka turned to face her fully, his eyebrows raised in mock surprise. “You mean to tell me you <em>don’t</em> have all of Zuko’s passwords? Aren’t you two supposed to be attached at the hip, or something?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The front door opened, then, and Zuko himself strode through it. He stopped short once he registered the sight in front of him. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Zuko, buddy!” Sokka clapped him hard on the shoulder. “How’s my favorite future brother-in-law?” Katara choked on her own spit, and she watched as the already-disgruntled firebender’s face turned a deep shade of red. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh relax, I’m kidding.” Sokka smirked, waggling his eyebrows at each of them in turn. </span>
</p><p>Katara’s gaze had turned to the floor, so she didn’t catch the glare that Zuko shot her brother. He said nothing, and an uncomfortable silence followed.</p><p>From the corner of her eye, Katara could see Sokka’s feet begin to shuffle. The tension did not break when he spoke again. “Well,” he dragged out that first word, “I think I’m gonna head home.” He was already bending down to pick up his shopping bag.</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Katara seethed but didn’t protest. As much as she wanted her brother to stay, she refused to allow Zuko to eavesdrop. She looked up in time for Sokka to embrace her once more. He ruffled Zuko’s hair on his way to the door, and Katara almost laughed at the other man’s responding sour expression. Almost. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh, Katara!” Sokka spun around after he opened the door. “It was supposed to be a surprise, but Mom and Dad are coming down to visit on Thursday. I’m not sure why they decided to surprise you and not me since you know the city so much better than I do. But anyway, can you make the dinner plans?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Clearly desiring to exit the premises as soon as possible, he didn’t wait for a response. Calling out, “Thanks!”, he closed the door behind him, oblivious to the fact that his words had just punched a hole in Katara's chest. </span>
</p><hr/><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">All of his troubles suddenly forgotten, Zuko could only stare at the waterbender. <em>Mom and Dad</em>. Her hand had moved up to the place on her throat where her necklace would normally have been. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Without thinking, he crossed the room to sit next to her on the edge of the bed. She didn’t flinch away from him, though Zuko suspected that fact had little to do with him. The girl stared unseeingly at the door through which her brother had just left. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Her mother was alive. Lu Ten was alive. He wondered what other apparitions awaited them here. </span>
</p><p>“Katara—”</p><p>She cut him off by standing abruptly.</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Don’t—just, don’t.” Her voice was thick with emotion. She did not look at him as she headed into the washroom, slamming the door shut behind her.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Zuko rubbed his hands over his face, muffling the frustrated groan that escaped his lips. He could not bring himself to blame her for that response, but it stung, nonetheless. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The weight of the day settled firmly back into place at the pit of his stomach, but he could no longer think about anything. He would deal with his emotions, and hers, tomorrow. The light pouring in from the window told him it was only early evening, but still, he grabbed a pillow from the bed and placed it on the end of the futon. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Letting her have the bed was the least he could do. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Without bothering to change clothes, he flopped facedown into the hard cushions. The exhaustion overtook him almost immediately, and he drifted into a dreamless sleep.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hope you enjoyed this nice, long chapter! I'm so happy with the response to the last chapter. A massive thank you to everyone who has commented so far. Let me know what you think!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA or LoK.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The first rays of sunlight lit the tiny apartment, igniting Zuko’s inner fire. Blinking away the sleep from his eyes, he sat up to stretch his stiff muscles until the joints popped satisfactorily. The dawn meant that he had a few hours before he was due to report to the tea shop.</p><p>Today would be different. Zuko was nothing if not observant, and he had studied Uncle’s every action for most of yesterday. He was accustomed, now, to pretending to be something he is not. Surely he could find a way to pretend that he was the man who helped run a tea shop with his uncle and cousin—</p><p>—the cousin who was supposed to be dead.</p><p>Lu Ten was supposed to be <em>dead. </em>How could Zuko tell his uncle that he was not who he appeared to be when it would inevitably force him to reveal the whole truth? It had made his heart swell to see this version of Uncle living the dreams of the one he knew, minus the burden of grief and guilt weighing him down. Zuko refused to illuminate a different reality.</p><p>No. He would find another way out.</p><p>His gaze fell to the bed, where the waterbender’s sleeping form was cocooned in a mass of blankets. Her long hair was splayed across the pillow as she lay facing the window, and the early morning light gave her skin an almost ethereal glow.</p><p>For a child of the moon, the sun suited her quite well. He was momentarily transfixed, unable to help his admiration of her soft features. The seemingly ever-present crease of her brow was smoothed away in sleep.</p><p>Zuko had been earnestly shaken by the presence of the cousin, who he, in truth, had lost touch with many years before his untimely death. The woman before him had just found out her dead mother was coming for a visit. Zuko could not begin to fathom what she was experiencing.</p><p>A familiar grip of shame tightened around him the longer he looked at her, but another possibility had simultaneously begun to surface in his mind. Thoughts of his own mother materialized without his permission, but he shook them away. He could not afford to get his hopes up.</p><p>He forced his eyes away from her still-sleeping figure and made his way to the washroom.</p><p>Zuko grimaced at the mirror. Despite his hair being slightly shorter than he had been used to in recent weeks, it still managed to stick out in every direction.</p><p>He moved to the tub and turned the nozzle, watching with only slightly-waning amazement as the water flowed inside. Atop the spout was a button. Curiously, he pressed it and looked up in alarm as the water began cascading like rain from a new source above his head. <em>Convenient.</em></p><p>Discarding his clothes quickly, he stepped under the shower, sighing contentedly as he heated his skin to steam the water around him. Reaching for a bar of soap, he stopped short at the number of bottles of varying size and shape that littered the tub’s edges. There were more of them than he had ever seen at the Royal Palace spa. How had he not noticed these before, when he had pulled the glass out of the waterbender’s foot?</p><p>More importantly, which one was the soap?</p><p>After several minutes of experimenting with the scented liquids, Zuko surmised that he was clean. He steamed himself dry before grabbing a robe that he assumed was his from a nearby hook.</p><p>Running his fingers through his damp hair, he scrutinized the two toothbrushes that sat on the counter’s edge. He eventually gave up and sent a silent prayer to the spirits as he grabbed the one that he hoped was his.</p><p>Once his teeth were clean, he made his way back out to the front room. The girl had not moved in his absence. He recalled the clothing Lu Ten had been wearing, choosing a similar pair of uncomfortable-looking pants and a plain gray shirt from the drawers under the bed.</p><p>He moved away from her toward the kitchen area to change, mentally griping about the lack of space as he went.</p><hr/><p class="p1">A frustrated grunt stirred Katara from her fitful slumber. The sound had come from the kitchen.</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Careful not to alert Zuko that she was awake, she opened her eyes to watch him attempt in vain to light the stove. A small frying pan sat atop its surface, but she could not see its contents. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Little bursts of flame shot from his fingers to the underside of the pan, and each time the burner did not ignite, she noticed the muscles in his back tighten a fraction more under the fabric of his shirt. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She was content to watch him struggle for a moment, but his move to sleep on the futon the previous night was a gesture that had not slipped her notice.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You’re supposed to turn the dial underneath the burner.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He whirled around at the sound of her voice. She met his alarmed gaze, brows raised, before he frowned, and turned back to the stove. He rotated the dial as instructed, and a small flame erupted underneath the pan. Katara laid her head back against the pillow, listening to him fumble around the kitchen as she stared at nothing in particular. At one point, she felt his eyes on her again, but she chose to ignore him.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sokka’s words played in her mind repeatedly, but she found herself unable to fully process them. She knew she was supposed to be overjoyed. Her mom…she was alive. And she was coming to see her. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But it wasn’t real. At least, not for her. This wasn’t the same woman who had died protecting her. Katara was not the daughter that she knew. Still, the thought of seeing her face again, of feeling her arms around her again, effectively overwhelmed Katara. Silent tears dampened the hair and sheets surrounding her head. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The eclipse. It was soon. Exactly how soon, she didn’t know, but she could not afford to get comfortable. If that meant passing up her only opportunity to see her mom again, alive…to tell her that she loved her…</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">So be it. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She had to stop the invasion before it was too late. That meant finding Aang as soon as possible and getting back to her life. This life was not hers. This was not real. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The very real pain that constricted her insides disagreed.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Heaving a sigh, she sat up slowly. Zuko had just finished placing two plates on the table, each holding an egg cooked sunny side up. Between the dishes, he set down a bowl of cherries. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">If he noticed her tear-stained cheeks, his expression gave nothing away. “I made breakfast,” he murmured. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">After a brief debate with herself, Katara sat gingerly in the chair opposite him—her stomach made the decision for her when it reminded her rather loudly that she still had not eaten. Zuko was not a master chef, but the simple meal would be enough to get her through the morning. They ate in silence, for which Katara was grateful. Zuko did not broach the subject that she was certain he wanted to bring up the moment Sokka had left the apartment. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She decided then that she would go to work. She was still firm in the belief that learning as much as possible about this reality could only help her. Plus, she needed the distraction from thinking about her mom, and she couldn’t help her curiosity about what this job entailed.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A movement in her peripheral caused Katara to glance up from her plate at Zuko, who had picked up the folded leather square that she had left on the table. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh, that’s your passport, I think. I was looking around the apartment yesterday and found it.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He didn’t respond, appearing lost in thought for a moment. Eventually, he gave her a slight nod and pocketed it. “Did you find anything else that could be useful?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Not really.” Truthfully, she just wasn’t in the mood to explain to Zuko all that she had learned about the little handheld device. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">When she was finished eating, Zuko took her plate and placed it in the water basin on the growing pile of dishes. She nodded at him in thanks. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He moved over to the window then, and sat cross-legged on the floor, his back to her. Rolling a cherry pit around her mouth, Katara watched him do a series of breathing exercises.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She suddenly remembered something he had said to her before he left for his uncle’s tea shop the day before, blurting out the question before she could stop herself. “Did you tell your uncle about us?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">His breath audibly hitched, and he half-turned to her. “No.” After he turned back toward the window, he added, “I don’t know if I can.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The response was not at all what she had expected. “Why?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">At first, he said nothing. Katara thought for a moment that he had ignored her and returned to his breathing exercises. When he eventually turned to face her fully, there was a sadness in his eyes that she had never seen. He looked almost human. “There was a…complication.” She did not speak, waiting for him to continue. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">After a moment’s pause, he sighed and went on. “My uncle had a son, Lu Ten, who died in the war. It broke him. It’s the reason he retired. It’s…the reason my father became Fire Lord.” Katara’s eyes widened. It had never occurred to her that Zuko’s gentle traveling companion could have once been the Crown Prince. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She had a feeling she knew where this was going.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Lu Ten was in the tea shop when I got there yesterday.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Katara winced, her suspicions confirmed. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">If Zuko told his uncle, the dream would end. He would no longer be able to live the fantasy of a reunion with his cousin, in a world that had not been ruined by his family’s war. She thought again of her mother, and anger simmered white-hot in the pit of her stomach. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You are the one who claimed your uncle could help us. If you want to get out of here as badly as I do, like you <em>said</em> you do, telling him should be your number one priority,” she snapped.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I know—” he started, but Katara cut him off. “If I’m going to miss out on my only chance to see my mother again, you can miss out on hanging out with your cousin in a tea shop. Which, by the way, you’ve already gotten to—”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It’s not like that!” He was on his feet now, scowling down at her. She hadn’t remembered him being that tall. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“If I tell Uncle who I am, he’s inevitably going to have questions. For example: where does Lu Ten fit into all of this? Well, Uncle, he doesn’t fit in anywhere, because he’s dead. And it’s <em>your fault</em>.” He was fuming. Katara watched a vein pulse in his forehead. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What do you mean, it was his fault?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Lu Ten died fighting in the siege of Ba Sing Se. The siege that my uncle, his father, led him into.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Oh. <em>Oh. </em></span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He continued before she had a chance to respond. “Showing Uncle that such a cruel side of himself could exist…that he could be capable of…” He closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose before starting again. “To tell Uncle that in another life, his son—his dream—was crushed by his own ambitions…well, I could just add that to the list of terrible things I’ve done to him. Leave it to me to find a way to hurt him in <em>more than one</em> version of his life.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He was sitting on the edge of the bed now, his hands fisted in his lap. His voice was huskier than usual. To Katara’s shock, he appeared close to tears.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She blinked. Was Zuko…<em>acknowledging</em> the atrocities committed by his nation? Regardless of if that was his intention, his explanation for not telling his uncle the truth was not at all where Katara’s train of thought had been. Though, it was only fair to assume the worst of Zuko. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She imagined what she would do if she woke up one day, and Sokka told her that in an alternate reality, she had turned her mother over to the Fire Nation, just to protect herself. Even if she personally was not the one who had done it…the thought sent a shiver down her spine. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Well, couldn’t you…lie? If he asked?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He looked at her like she’d suggested he murder his uncle. “Lying would be dishonorable.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She could barely stifle a scoff. “What <em>is </em>it with you and—” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Her retort was interrupted by a persistent vibration coming from her device in its place on the table. Its display was similar to when Zuko’s uncle had called him, except there was no name at the top of the image—only numbers. Frowning, she pressed ‘Accept.’ </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Uhm. Hello?” she held the device close to her face, mimicking Zuko’s movements from the previous morning. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hello! This is Ming, calling from Hidden Jewel. Am I speaking to Katara?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She nodded, before realizing Ming probably could not see her. “Yes?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m calling to confirm your reservation for two for tonight at 7 PM.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It took some restraint for Katara not to slap her hand against her forehead. She had meant to cancel that. Glancing over at Zuko, who watched her in confusion, a wave of guilt unexpectedly washed over her as her outburst from earlier replayed in her mind. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They did need to eat, and Katara didn’t imagine Zuko’s cooking skills ranged much further beyond eggs in a frying pan. Katara could cook, but she didn’t trust herself in this kitchen. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hello? Ma’am?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She jumped. “Oh! Sorry. Umm.” She looked at Zuko briefly once more. “Yes! We’ll be there.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Great! See you this evening.” There was a beeping sound that Katara assumed signaled the end of the conversation.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What was that about?” Zuko asked incredulously, his earlier emotions seemingly tucked back in place. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“We have a dinner reservation tonight. Hidden Jewel at 7 o’clock.” She didn’t wait for his reaction, and instead marched straight to the washroom.</span>
</p><hr/><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Zuko watched the door close behind her, his lips still parted slightly in shock. <em>What just happened?</em></span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Was this progress? Was progress what he wanted? </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He took a few calming breaths, the last vestiges of anger stubbornly clinging to him. There had been an all-too-familiar pity in her eyes when she looked at him. If there was one thing he knew he definitely did not want, it was her pity. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>Maybe I should just take what I can get. </em>After all, it was the first time since they had gotten into this mess that she had shown him anything but blatant hostility.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He stood up with a sigh, deciding it would be best to leave before she changed her mind about dinner.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He arrived at the shop early. Uncle was already there, seated at one of the tables and sipping his own cup of tea. “Good morning, Zuko!” he chirped, gesturing for him to sit.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Feeling better today, I see,” he said, eying Zuko up and down. In truth, he wasn’t feeling better at all, but Uncle didn’t need to know that.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Where’s Lu Ten?” Zuko asked, glancing toward the back room as he slid into the chair opposite his uncle. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I gave him the day off today so that you and I might spend some time together.” His eyes twinkled. Zuko fidgeted. “I’m sorry about yesterday, Uncle. I promise it won’t happen again.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Uncle smiled. “I trust you.” Zuko didn’t miss the significance placed on the words. He would almost certainly be cornered for a chat later. Sweat beaded on the back of his neck as he met the man’s level stare.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He didn’t have to worry about it for too long, however, because the tea shop was packed from the moment they left their spots at the table to open up for the day. Uncle had taken Lu Ten’s place in the back, leaving Zuko unattended at the front counter. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Operating the register was comparable to using his phone, so he was able to stumble through with middling success, especially after having watched Uncle do it. While he wasn’t very nuanced in the vernacular of tea orders in this particular shop—he had to consistently remind himself to ask the customers if they wanted “regular sugar and ice”—there was no denying that things were going better than his previous shift.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Though, he didn’t imagine things could possibly have gone worse.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He got better at swiping cards as the day wore on. Cash was a slightly different story, but he noticed that no one seemed to actually count the change he gave them. Hence, his inevitable mistakes went largely unnoticed. He even managed to earn a few tips.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A few of the customers were evidently regulars and addressed him by name. This made him uncomfortable, to say the least. Though, he only needed to ask a customer what he had meant by ordering “the usual” once, which felt like a small victory.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Before he knew it, the day was over. He slumped into the same chair he had sat in that morning, exhausted.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Busy day,” Uncle said as he locked the front door. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Zuko had almost forgotten his nerves until the older man turned to him with that same glint in his eye from earlier. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“While I do, of course, revel in my own tea shop’s success, I had hoped we would have a bit more downtime today. It’s been so long since you and I have really had a chance to talk.” There was a brief pause as he made his way toward the back. “Would you like some tea?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Zuko nodded politely. “Thank you, Uncle.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Uncle disappeared in the backroom to busy himself with boiling the water. While he waited, Zuko thought back to the days when he and Uncle had been each other’s only source of companionship—when the only thing there was to do was talk. It felt like a lifetime ago, though he supposed it truly was a completely different life from this one. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Uncle spoke again from the doorway, breaking him from his thoughts. “I may look an old fool, but I know you, Zuko. You did a better job of pretending today than yesterday, but you can’t hide from me. You are not acting like yourself. Now, please tell me exactly what is going on.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">All pretexts had been dropped. Uncle had planned this. Perhaps this version of the man was not so different from the one he knew, though his uncle would likely have spent more time on the buildup.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Zuko clenched his jaw, meeting the man’s gaze. The golden eyes sparkled with their usual sincerity. <em>I still don’t deserve you.</em></span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m just…confused…” This certainly wasn’t a lie. He recalled a similar conversation he had recently had with the imprisoned version of Uncle. In Zuko’s drained state, the desperation he had felt during that other conversation was bubbling dangerously close to the surface. How did Uncle pull these emotions from him so easily?</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The kettle had begun to whistle, but the man waited patiently for him to continue. His look of at once concern and adoration was identical to the one he had shown Zuko during their last conversation in the prison. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Eventually, “Confused about what, exactly?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">In this reality, Zuko was not Iroh’s surrogate son. Zuko was not someone to fill the hole that Lu Ten had left in his chest. But yet, those eyes still bore into his nephew with a father’s love. And that is when Zuko realized that this man <em>did </em>know him. This <em>was</em> his uncle, and nothing the spirits did could change that. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He braced himself and waited until Uncle returned to sit at the table with a teapot and cups. <em>Agni, help me</em>. “I’m not who you think I am.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">There was a pause, and the glint of confusion in Uncle’s eyes was all that betrayed his serene expression. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Not who I think you are. Well, Zuko, I’m sure you can imagine what my follow up question might be.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Uncle’s words in Ba Sing Se entered his thoughts. <em>Who are you? What do </em>you <em>want? </em>Here he was, forced to face those questions again. He still wasn’t ready to answer them.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">So, he told Uncle <em>almost </em>everything, from the beginning.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Uncle listened intently as Zuko explained the concept of the four nations and the elements that formed the essence of each. That some were blessed by the spirits with the ability to manipulate one of those elements. Except for the Avatar—he was able to master all four. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hesitantly, he told the story of Fire Lord Sozin’s ambitions to expand the Fire Nation, the war that followed, and the Avatar’s disappearance. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">This was the first time Uncle’s face gave away any sign of alarm. “Did you say, Fire Lord Sozin?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>Oh no. </em>His first mistake. He thought about what the waterbender had said to him earlier about lying. Zuko was a terrible liar.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Uh—that’s…a coincidence.” He could not tell him their family’s exact involvement in the world’s conflict without having to explain Lu Ten’s absence in the narrative. A smaller part of him called out another reason for withholding that information, but he squashed it quickly. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Uncle’s brows were slightly raised, but he nodded for Zuko to continue. He chose his words more carefully after that, leaving out many of the details of the war-torn world his reality had become in the last hundred years. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He briefly explained the Spirit World—though he truthfully didn’t understand it himself—and how he journeyed there, only to be dragged into a pool, then wake up in an unfamiliar bed, suddenly older and…different, in this other life. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Zuko could feel himself rambling, so he stopped to wait for a response from Uncle. The man was scrutinizing him as he sipped his tea, his expression unreadable. Zuko squirmed in his chair. After several moments of this, Uncle spoke. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“And what about you?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Zuko balked. “What do you mean? I just told you.” After everything he had just said, <em>that </em>was his uncle’s response?</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You’ve given me a…fascinating description of this world that you have come from. But you have yet to answer my original question. Who are you?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>Damn. </em>The man really didn’t miss a beat. “I’m—uh. I’m a…refugee.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“And your family? From which nation do you hail?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Zuko couldn’t tell if Uncle actually believed everything he had just told him, or if he was merely humoring him by asking questions. Either way, he could feel himself beginning to slightly panic. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m from the Fire Nation. And…so are you. We travel together.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Uncle’s face lit up with realization. “So, you are <em>you</em>, but you’ve somehow dropped into this other version of your own life?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“…Yes. And, so has Katara. She was with me when the spirit dragged us into the pool.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He nodded thoughtfully, taking another sip of tea. “What of your mother? Your father? Azula?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Zuko gulped. “My mother…well, I don’t know where she is.” He looked down at his hands, fisted in his lap. “My father and Azula—we…got separated awhile ago.” It wasn’t a complete lie. He decided not to add in the details of their reunion. He was waiting for the other shoe to drop—for Uncle to ask him about Lu Ten. But, to his relief, he never did.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“These…benders, you speak of. Are you one of them?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Zuko hesitated, checking out the window of the shop. He took a deep breath before lighting a small fire in his hand. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Uncle’s eyes widened, and it was the first time in their conversation that he appeared genuinely taken aback. Perhaps he <em>had </em>just been humoring Zuko up until that point.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Though, he quickly rearranged his features into a calm mask. “So, you say we are refugees, fleeing the tyranny of our nation.” He was nodding to himself as he spoke. It wasn’t a question. He was stating it like it was obvious. Zuko’s eyes narrowed. <em>Not exactly</em>, he wanted to say, but was no longer in the mood to answer questions. So, he asked one of his own.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What is the nature of my relationship with Katara?” He was pretty sure that he already knew the answer but was ready to do anything to get off the topic of his family. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Uncle’s brows had knit together slightly at the change of subject, but he did not object. “Zuko, you do live with her. Surely, you can put two and two together. Unless that means something different in your reality?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He was evidently handling Zuko’s revelations quite well.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Are we…married?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Uncle chuckled. “No. Though, I must confess that I’ve hoped for quite some time that that might change. Katara is a lovely, intelligent young woman.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Zuko felt his face heating, but it seemed to only encourage Uncle. “In fact, I assumed that she had something to do with what was troubling you so much.” He appeared not to notice his nephew’s growing discomfort. “I thought something might have happened…prematurely…to force you into that next step,” he continued wryly.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> <em>Did he mean…?</em> </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Zuko spluttered out something unintelligible, suddenly choking on air. Uncle was now openly laughing at him, but the smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. </span>
</p><hr/><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The J train was delayed this morning, which meant Meili would be late to work. Again. She sighed and began to tap her foot impatiently as the platform slowly filled around her. She might not even make it onto the next train if it was too crowded. Someone nearby was loudly playing music without headphones. So this was going to be <em>that </em>kind of morning. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She briefly scanned the platform, mentally preparing herself to box out anyone who tried to cut in front her to get to the train doors. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Was that <em>Katara</em>? </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Her coworker stood three people away from her, thoroughly absorbed in her phone. This was new. Katara was never late. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Katara!” Meili called as she shuffled between commuters to reach her, ignoring the annoyed grunts as she passed. Katara looked up, and on closer examination, she looked thoroughly frazzled. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hey, girl!” Meili gave her a quick hug as she settled next to her. Katara seemed just as surprised to see her. Meili continued, “What’s up? You never leave this late.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Do I? Um—I just overslept.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Another first. Though, that didn’t seem like the entire truth. Something was off about her this morning. Meili decided not to press her for more—she would open up eventually. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“So, guess what I did this weekend.” Katara stared at her for a moment. “What?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I <em>finally </em>hooked up with that guy I told you about.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Katara’s eyes widened. Meili took that as encouragement. “He was just as amazing as you guessed he would be,” she added, smirking. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The other girl shuffled slightly. “Uh—wow. That’s great! Just like I told you!” She was smiling just a little too widely. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Her slightly erratic demeanor was beginning to be cause for concern. “Honey, are you okay? Did something happen this weekend?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Katara looked like she was about to respond, but the screeching sound of the approaching train stopped her mid-sentence. Her face melted into frightened fascination as if she had never been on the subway in her life. Meili frowned, glancing between Katara and the train, which was now beginning to slow down as it reached the platform.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Katara looked back down at her phone, and Meili caught a glimpse of the maps app open on the screen. “Are you going somewhere that isn’t the office?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The words seemed to snap Katara back to reality. She tore her eyes away from the train to look over at Meili, her expression one of…relief? Recognition? “No,” she said quickly, sliding her phone into her purse. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> <em>Okay…what the fuck is going on?</em> </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">When the train came to a stop, the doors opened to a partially empty car. <em>At least one thing has gone my way. </em>They shuffled inside, Meili grasping the pole in the middle and Katara following suit. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Meili decided it would be best not to set Katara off this morning. Whatever it was, she would tell her eventually. A change of subject was in order. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Ugh. I’m so not ready for the Departmental this morning. Chan is going to waste half the time talking about his ridiculous no-code application platform idea. Why do we even hold these things on Mondays?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Katara’s brows knit together. After a moment, she just pursed her lips and nodded.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>Okay</em>…<em>maybe silence is best.</em></span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They arrived at the office at 9:10—not as late as Meili expected. Katara hadn’t said another word for the rest of the commute. She instead seemed to focus her attention on the actions of the people around her and the conductor's voice reading off the available transfers at each stop.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Meili settled into her desk and turned her computer on with a sigh. She murmured a “good morning” to Zhu, who sat across from her. It was several minutes before Katara hesitantly made her way to her desk next to Meili’s. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Meili decided to procrastinate answering her emails by going into Google to search for some of the day’s top news stories. In her peripheral vision, she could see Katara watching her intently. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The rest of the day progressed similarly. Katara seemed to mimic Meili’s every move, following her into meetings and looking over at her computer while she worked. When she wasn’t doing that, she took constant notes and wandered around the office like a lost puppy. Meili noted intense relief on Katara’s face when Lin came by to tell her she had to cancel their mentor lunch. Meili frowned. Katara <em>loved </em>mentor lunches. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">When Wei An approached Katara about meeting a deadline, she visibly panicked, stammering through an excuse about her calendar being too full. Wei An seemed to also sense her strange behavior, because he uncharacteristically extended the deadline. Katara’s schedule was undoubtedly busy, but Meili had never seen her bite off more than she could chew.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">They didn’t speak much. Katara was focused, though clearly not on her work. Meili, meanwhile, had her own deadline to hit. She blasted her music in an only-slightly successful attempt to ignore the other girl’s constant snooping and nervous fidgeting.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">By the time the bi-weekly Web Review meeting had finished—late, to Meili’s chagrin—it was nearly 6:00. She watched Katara practically run from the conference room, resolving herself to follow after her and get to the bottom of her behavior. She both literally and figuratively dodged Chan’s invite to grab drinks after work, ducking around him to squeeze into the main office. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But Katara was already gone. </span>
</p><hr/><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Zuko squeezed onto the edge of a crowded bench outside the restaurant. It wasn’t too far from the tea shop, so he was slightly early. The facade was painted a bright white color with blue designs placed in a pattern, making it stand out from the other, plainer buildings. He watched passersby with idle interest, his mind wandering. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Uncle had helped him put the restaurant’s name into the map on his phone before he left the shop. Their discussion had been cut short when Zuko had to go, but Uncle invited him to his home for tea on Wednesday afternoon to continue where they left off once they closed the shop. Zuko had a lot of questions, and he guessed that Uncle would have some of his own. He had asked for Katara to come along, too, no doubt curious about her place in their version of the world. Zuko had left out the fact that they didn’t exactly get along.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Telling Uncle had been the right thing to do. Zuko didn’t know how, but he knew Uncle would help him. It, too, crossed his mind that he somewhat selfishly reveled in a reality where he hadn’t gotten the man imprisoned. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He spotted Katara before she did him. She was on the other side of the street, momentarily stopped as she swiveled around, looking for the correct building. She wore her hair long, instead of in her usual braid. Zuko noticed that she was wearing a similar dress to one a customer had been wearing today. However, he admittedly preferred the way it looked on Katara.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She must have felt him staring at her because she turned to look at him before pursing her lips and making her way across the street. Zuko could feel a blush creeping up his neck as he thought about what Uncle had said to him before he left the tea shop. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She greeted him with a nod as he stood up, and they made their way inside without a word. The host led them to a back garden, lit by lanterns. It was significantly less noisy at the secluded corner table at which they were seated. Zuko felt it was a bit of a waste, considering he and Katara weren’t conversationalists—well, not with each other. At least he would be able to hear himself think.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Would you like sparkling, bottled, or tap water this evening?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Zuko looked to Katara, who appeared to understand it just as much as he did, which was to say, not at all. She shrugged and answered for them both. “Tap water, please.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The host nodded and hurried away. A silence fell over the table. Zuko attempted to examine the menu to distract himself from the woman sitting across from him. He found himself reading the line items multiple times, unable to retain the information. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She broke the silence. “Have you taken any trains since we’ve been here?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He wasn’t sure what he had expected her to say, but it wasn’t that. He gave her a slightly confused shake of the head. “No. Why?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Well, let’s just say we’re not in Ba Sing Se anymore.” <em>Is she making small talk? </em>His brows knit together. “No, we’re in Da Ping Guo.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh? How’d you figure that out?” She seemed genuinely curious. He shrugged and mumbled something about signs he had seen on the street. In truth, Uncle had told him, but he wasn’t ready to talk about that just yet. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“So, what did you do today?” he asked clumsily. Her eyes narrowed. “That doesn’t concern you.” <em>There goes the small talk.</em></span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">At that moment, a waiter returned with two glasses of water. He smiled at them, evidently not noticing the tension in the air around their table. “Do you know what you want to eat? Anything else to drink?” Katara nodded, ordering some kind of noodle dish that Zuko had skimmed over on the menu and an iced tea. “Uh. I’ll have what she’s having,” Zuko mumbled. He silently marveled at her ability to adapt, or at least pretend. She didn’t look anywhere near as bewildered as he felt. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The waiter nodded. “That’ll be right out!” Gone again. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">More silence. Zuko watched Katara bend the water to swirl it around her glass until she noticed his eyes on her. She folded her hands in her lap. He realized for the first time, then, how exhausted she looked. Maybe she wasn’t adjusting as well as he’d thought. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">With a deep breath, Zuko took the plunge. “I told my uncle about us.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Her head snapped up, eyes wide. “You did? Did—was he okay with…your cousin?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I didn’t tell him that part.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She nodded slowly as she absorbed his words. Zuko continued, “He invited us to have tea with him on Wednesday afternoon.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh. I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” she muttered after a moment. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Zuko sighed. “I told you. You and I have the same goal. Uncle can help us.” He hesitated before speaking the next words on his mind. “Besides, don’t you find it strange that of all the infinite realities we could have fallen into, we happened to end up in the one where we <em>live</em> together?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Katara scoffed. “I guess we’re just that unlucky.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Zuko met her gaze. “Seems more like destiny, to me. I think we’re supposed to be working together to get out of this.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She looked ready to object, but the waiter arrived then with their food. The dish consisted of noodles and small chunks of beef sitting in a bowl of an unknown broth. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Taking advantage of Katara’s momentary distraction, Zuko spoke again. “Why did you invite me to dinner?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Her expression softened slightly, and it was a few moments before she responded. “I…don’t really know. I guess I felt a little bit guilty about what I said to you this morning.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He nodded, and a reminder of his own guilt was fighting its way to the surface. He stared at the ice cubes floating around in his water glass as he spoke his next words.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’m…sorry for what the Fire Nation has done to your family.” He thought again of the look on her face when she found out her mother was alive. “If I could take back the mistakes of my people, I would.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Katara laughed bitterly, and her expression rearranged itself into a scowl. “The mistakes of <em>your people</em>? You realize that’s almost exactly what you said to me in Ba Sing Se, right?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Zuko recoiled. “Well, yes, but that doesn’t mean—” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She interrupted him, her voice rising with each word. “Nothing you say will make any difference! You gave me your bullshit sob story about your mother and made the same empty apology as you are now, and then you turned right around to do what you’ve always done. And because I stupidly decided to trust you, you almost succeeded that time.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I was never trying to kill Aang—or anyone, for that matter!” he stammered. “Katara, I just—my father—”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yeah, yeah, your father wouldn’t have ‘restored your honor’ if you hadn’t done it. Have you ever stopped to consider that the Fire Lord’s idea of honor might be different from everyone else’s?” Her blue eyes burned into his. The place where his scar used to be prickled. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> <em>Yes. Constantly. Why do you think I left?</em> </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Those were not the words that came out of his mouth, however. “Have <em>you</em> ever stopped to consider that we wouldn’t even be in this situation if you hadn’t pissed off that spirit?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Her arms moved quickly, and he had no time to react as she bent the contents of her bowl in a jet straight to his chest. Then she stood, storming away from the table and out of the restaurant. The other diners stared after her, open-mouthed, then at a stunned Zuko, now dripping with hot soup.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Another long chapter! This one took a couple of rewrites, but I'm decently satisfied with the finished product. I hope you enjoyed!</p><p>I can't believe this story has reached over 1200 hits. That might not be huge for some, but it's definitely not a milestone I expected to reach. I say it every update, but all of the comments and kudos are so appreciated!</p><p>Let me know what you thought of this chapter! I've loved all of the thoughtful feedback so far. Or, just drop a smiley face! :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA or LoK.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Katara burst through the apartment door, still seething even after the brisk walk from the restaurant. <em>This is what I get for trying to be civil. </em></span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>“</em>The <em>nerve </em>of that—ugh!<em>” </em>she exclaimed to no one in particular.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">It was downright offensive that Zuko thought she would be stupid enough to allow him to manipulate her like that again. How could <em>he </em>be so foolish as to believe that it was still just about his nation—that his own betrayal hadn’t nearly ruined everything? He was lucky that a little soup in his lap was all he got. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She made her way to the washroom, grumbling to herself as she went. In one fluid movement, she peeled off the uncomfortable dress she had forced herself to wear that morning and stepped into the tub. Deciding to forgo using the mechanism that made the water flow, she instead bent a stream from the unseen pipes into a cool glove around herself. Closing her eyes, she sighed as the healing water worked to soothe her tense muscles.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A part of her that she tried desperately to silence whispered that Zuko may have been right about one thing. It couldn’t possibly be a coincidence that they ended up in this place together. But Katara didn’t believe in destiny—at least not the way Zuko did. There were ways around destiny. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>What a disaster. </em>The day had nearly been a complete waste of time, save for her discovery of Google. Katara had watched the other girl—Meili—use it frequently throughout the day, seeming to conjure up any information she could possibly need, just by asking. <em>Incredibly useful for someone stuck in a place where absolutely nothing makes sense. </em>She had taken careful notes on that. Perhaps she could use it to find Aang. She had to, as she was otherwise no closer to a lead on his whereabouts. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She sent a silent apology to the other Katara, wherever she was. There was no reason to keep going to work, and only so much she could pretend to know or be. She had clearly alarmed her coworkers, and an absent Katara was probably better than a useless Katara. It was all getting to be a bit too much to process, and there could be no more distractions. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Letting the water splash back into a puddle around her, she stood to find something to cover up with in case Zuko had returned. As she glanced around the washroom, she couldn’t help the feeling of intrusion, as if she was in someone else’s home. She had a real, if irrational, fear of touching what did not belong to her, even if it technically <em>did</em> belong to her. Grimacing, she settled for a soft silk slip that had been haphazardly draped over a hook.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She had been right to put it on because Zuko was sitting at the table when she opened the door. His eyes briefly raked over her before settling a glower on her face. Part of her wanted to laugh. He was <em>covered </em>in soup.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“This conversation isn’t over.” He stated it like a demand. Katara felt her eyes roll.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yes, it is. I have nothing more to say to you,” she spat, gesturing toward his stained clothing. “And I don’t care what—”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“No, <em>listen </em>to me!” He stood as he said it, his voice shrill, but somehow still dangerous. Decidedly too exhausted to deal with a flare in his temper, Katara huffed out a sigh and waited.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What happened in Ba Sing Se wasn’t personal.” Maybe she wasn’t completely exhausted. She opened her mouth to say the first nasty thing she could think of, but he kept going.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What did you expect me to do, turn on my sister—my <em>family</em>? Because you and I had one little heart to heart about our moms? Would you do that to Sokka?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Katara bristled. “How can you possibly make that comparison? Sokka wasn’t trying to kill Aang. Sokka isn’t—he isn’t evil!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“That’s exactly my point!” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> <em>Oh? </em> </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He had moved to stand in front of her. “You’ve never had to choose between your family and…” A brief pause. “I’d been banished for <em>three years</em>, and Azula gave me my only opportunity to go home. To not be in hiding anymore, to finally get my father’s acceptance.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What about your uncle? He’s your family, too, is he not? Was betraying him ‘not personal’?” Zuko blanched. That seemed to hit home. Instead of responding, he appeared to turn in on himself for a moment.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Choose between my family and <em>what</em>?” Katara asserted, and Zuko snapped back to attention.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He screwed his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose. “You’ve never had to question your values. Because Sokka shares them. He’s always been right there with you.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Not everyone has the luxury of questioning their values! We don’t <em>get</em> to be selfish and decide to overlook them if it means getting what we want. Our people have been slaughtered by your people. There is no <em>questioning </em>what we have to do to survive. There’s no <em>questioning </em>that the war has to end!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You don’t think I want the war to end? Of course, I do! It just—” he cut himself off, groaning in frustration. <em>Oh, this is </em>rich<em> coming from the Fire Lord’s son. </em>She stared him down and waited.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He met her eyes before he spoke again. “What will Aang do to the Fire Nation if he defeats my father? What will become of my people? Say what you will about the Fire Lord, about Azula…about me. But I love my country, and its citizens don’t deserve punishment for the royal family's actions.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Katara noted that he didn’t <em>deny </em>that his family was evil incarnate. <em>That's the second time, now. </em>“Aang will restore peace. You—”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You said that capturing the Avatar meant capturing the world’s last hope for peace, but what does ‘peace’ mean to you? I saw what Aang did at the Siege of the North—<em>my</em> people, slaughtered, in a matter of minutes. Death and destruction is peace, as long as the Fire Nation isn’t the one inflicting it?” His hard gaze didn’t leave hers.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Katara winced. “Aang would never kill anyone on purpose. He…are you forgetting what the Fire Nation did to the Air Nomads? He wouldn’t wish that on anyone. He wouldn’t stoop to that level.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Zuko frowned. “Well wouldn't that be the perfect revenge?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She wasn’t entirely surprised that he would come to that conclusion. “Not everyone is looking for revenge. Especially not Aang—it’s his duty to restore balance.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Zuko said nothing, so Katara spoke again. “Tell me what the alternative is if Aang doesn’t defeat the Fire Lord. Do we carry on in an endless war?” Still no response. His eyes were somewhere else, his expression grim. Maybe her message was sinking in.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But Katara was done with wasting time trying to untangle Zuko’s mind. Google awaited.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Her eyes slid over to the computer that she knew to be Zuko’s, resting on the arm of the futon. Zuko made no move to stop her as she made her way to it, so he must have received the hint that she was done talking. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">As Sokka had done the day before, she unfolded the device and watched the display light up. <em>Oh no. </em>The other thing Sokka had mentioned: a password. Luckily, a piece of parchment at work had Katara’s computer password written on it. Maybe the other Zuko had something like that somewhere. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Did you forget my password again?” Zuko’s smirking voice came from behind her, startling her. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Um…what?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Katara stiffened as he reached both arms around her, his breath hot against the side of her neck. His fingers flew across the buttons below the display, unlocking the computer with apparent ease. He straightened, smiling a genuine smile. Before Katara could react, he covered both of her hands with his, gave them a light squeeze, and moved away from the table. </span>
</p><hr/><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Zuko froze halfway to the washroom. He turned around to look at Katara, who was gaping at him. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“What was <em>that</em>?” she asked in a tone of open shock.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I…don’t know.” Something had inexplicably overtaken him for a moment. “It’s like I was the other guy for a second.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She was silent for a moment before slowly shaking her head. “…Let’s just add that to the list of reasons to get out of here.” She gave him one last incredulous glance before her attention went back to the device.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Zuko continued toward the washroom in a daze. Once the door was shut behind him, he slumped against it. <em>What just happened?</em> He had been so confused and frustrated. Then he looked at Katara only briefly, and suddenly he was filled with…feelings…for her. Memories of her. It wasn’t like with Mai. It was more intense, and more…comfortable? And then he had just instinctively approached her…and then it was over, almost as quickly as it began. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>Agni. </em>He could only handle so many bombshells.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">His only distraction from that recent development was the equally infuriating conversation he had just finished having with Katara. How could he possibly explain his family dynamic to her when hers was so <em>perfect? </em></span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>Well, it would be. If the Fire Nation hadn’t murdered her mother, </em>he reminded himself with gritted teeth. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Thinking of what he did to Uncle hurt him more than she could possibly imagine. But Uncle had made his choice to turn his back on his family. Zuko was done with being a traitor. Going with Azula meant going back to some semblance of normalcy. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"> <em>But then Azula attempted to murder the Avatar. I finally made it home, and it was nothing like I imagined. I betrayed the only person in the world who loved me—a fact that the journey home had all but confirmed. </em> </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Zuko knew that what he had with Azula and his father wasn’t love, but loyalty in the Fire Nation couldn’t simply be broken. He thought of the horrible sickness he had experienced in Ba Sing Se, the first time he had truly questioned his destiny. Would he even survive if he fully renounced his father? </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Yes, that was a path he had been forced to consider. He shuddered, recalling the events of the last war meeting he had attended before he left the palace—the reason he hadn’t been able to answer Katara’s final question. If the Avatar didn’t defeat the Fire Lord, well. Zuko didn’t exactly agree with his father’s plan. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">But he couldn’t tell her about any of that, not when her hatred of the Fire Nation was so absolute. In her mind, Ozai represented the goals and ideals of the entire country. There was good, and there was the Fire Nation. <em>That’s not how war works, you stubborn Water Tribe brat. </em></span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Realizing he was still leaning against the door, Zuko quickly stripped away his soupy clothing and repeated the steps from that morning until he was standing once again under the calming rain. His mind continued to drift.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Uncle had taught him once that the Water Tribes valued community above all else. If the individual acted, the community stood behind them. If someone made a mistake, it reflected on the entire tribe. All things considered, it made sense for Katara to blame Zuko for his nation's wrongdoings, and he had only made it worse in Ba Sing Se. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Perhaps the best thing he could do was try to understand her, rather than convince her to abandon her beliefs. He had meant what he said in the restaurant, after all. For whatever reason, they were supposed to be here. Zuko still needed answers, and he was beginning to realize that without Katara, he would not find them.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">As for the corresponding <em>questions, </em>one had become abundantly clear the moment he squeezed Katara’s hands. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">When he stepped back into the main room, she had not moved from her place at the table. The room was completely dark, save for the light of the device that lit her features in a soft glow. She didn’t look up at his approach.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Resolving not to disturb her, Zuko wasted no time diving headfirst onto the futon, his fatigue finally catching up with him. Had it been only that morning that he started his second shift at the tea shop? </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sleep found him quickly, but it wasn’t long before the pull of the dawn awoke him once again. He dully wished he could ignore the inner fire in favor of sleeping in, just once. He rolled his head lazily toward the window. Overcast. That explained it. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A noise from the kitchen area snapped him to attention. To his surprise, Katara was still sitting at the table with her back to him, tapping away at the device. She didn’t seem to notice that he had woken up. Zuko decided to keep it that way, but his curiosity was beginning to get the better of him. He craned his neck to get a glimpse at what exactly she had spent so many hours looking at. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">His eyes strained against the brightness, unable to make out the words flashing across the device. Though, he didn’t have to wonder for much longer, because Katara gasped loud enough to wake the neighborhood, shutting the machine hastily. Her head was suddenly in her hands as she whispered, “No, no, no, no, no, no, no.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Zuko took that as his cue to ‘wake up’—there was no more use in pretending. “Katara?” He approached her hesitantly. She jumped and stared up at him with wide, wet eyes. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Katara, what’s wrong?” he asked with more urgency. Shaking her head, she abruptly stood and began to pace, still mumbling to herself. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">This was the first time Zuko had seen her truly panic since they had gotten here. He attempted to step in front of her, but she just snaked around him. He barely suppressed an indignant grunt.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Please. You have to tell me what’s going on. We have to help each other!” It felt wrong to plead with her, but he was out of ideas. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Hearing the desperation in his tone, she stopped, seeming to size him up. After a long minute, he could see in her eyes that a decision was made. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She took a steadying breath that heaved her entire body. “Aang is dead.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Zuko blinked, unsure if he had heard her correctly. “…What? How could you possibly know that?” <em>Is she…? </em>He gestured wildly at the device on the table. “Were you using that to communicate with him?!”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He could practically feel the frustration radiating from her. “No, no, no. He’s dead <em>here</em>, not in our reality, despite your sister’s best efforts.” Her voice took on a hard edge at the mention of Azula.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Zuko chose not to mention the assassin. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“So…what’s the problem? It’s not the one you know. Why are you even surprised? Wouldn’t he be 110 years old, or something like that?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say because she had reverted back to panicking. “You don’t understand. Aang was my way out! I was going to find him, and he was going to open a spirit portal and—”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“<em>That </em>was your plan? You do realize that bending doesn’t exist here, right? You should have seen the looks I got when you pulled that stunt at the restaurant…” he trailed off at the utterly defeated look on her face.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I thought…maybe the Avatar would transcend all of that,” she murmured.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Well, he could admit it wasn’t <em>entirely</em> unsound logic. After all…<em>wait. </em>Katara seemed to come to the same realization that he had because her expression had shifted into something more hopeful.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She spoke first. “If bending doesn’t exist here, why can you and I bend?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>Why, indeed? </em>Zuko had subconsciously lit a small flame on his pointer finger. He nodded thoughtfully as he watched it dance in time with his breathing. “Point taken. Maybe there is a way to pull it out of someone…somehow.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">There was a momentary silence as they both sat on that thought. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Why don't we start with your uncle?” she asked, and Zuko could hear the hint of uncertainty underneath the question. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Zuko couldn’t help a small smile as he nodded. “That’s actually not a bad idea.” Katara’s eyes narrowed.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I’ll discuss that with him over tea tomorrow. If it doesn’t work, at least he can give us some insights about this madness,” he continued, gesturing toward the window. He met Katara’s still-watery gaze. “Will you come?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She chewed her lip for a moment before nodding. “I suppose I don’t have much choice now.”</span>
</p><hr/><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sokka gawked at the massive fire breathing statue that loomed in the center of the city plaza. He could scarcely imagine the amount of war profiteering that allowed for precious resources to be put to use for such grandiosity. Given the sheer size of Fire Fountain City and the black smoke that curled above the many factory rooftops…well, maybe he <em>could</em> imagine. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">From the corner of his eye, he could see that Aang suddenly perked up, pointing to a small noodle stall that stood in the shade of a large hawk post tower on a side street. “Maybe if I can get some <em>real </em>food in my system, I’ll be able to get that spirit portal opened faster. No offense, Sokka.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sokka shrugged. He would be the first to admit that they couldn’t subsist forever on Katara’s ocean kumquats, and he had been a bit too preoccupied to attempt to hunt down anything else. One problem, though. “I’m all for getting Katara back sooner rather than later. But where are we supposed to get the money to buy noodles?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Toph snickered from Aang’s other side, holding open a small sack of silver pieces for the two boys to see. “Way ahead of you, Snoozles.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sokka and Aang both abruptly stopped walking, mouths agape. “Where did you get that?” asked Aang incredulously. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“While you two were busy moping about Katara, I decided to take improving our situation into my own hands.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">That didn’t answer the question, but the angry rumble in his stomach reminded Sokka that he didn’t particularly care. He clapped the earthbender on the shoulder. “Sometimes I wonder what we would do without you in the group.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She smirked. “Let’s go.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">There was a small outdoor seating area in front of the stall, and only one other table was occupied. Sokka nodded to himself. They would be able to speak somewhat freely. Once orders were placed, the trio moved to sit at a table as far as possible from the other patrons. While they waited, Toph munched from a tin of fire flakes, which came free with her Helpless Blind Girl act. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Okay, we need to talk about a backup invasion plan,” Sokka began. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Aang tore his eyes from Toph’s fire flakes to stare at him, eyes laced with confusion. “Backup plan?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Toph sighed. “You know, in case we can’t get Katara back in time.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sokka nodded. “I know that time works differently in the Spirit World, so probably only a few minutes have gone by for her. Katara can take care of herself in there for a short amount of time. So if we have to wait—” He paused at the pained look on Aang’s face. “What?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The boy spoke hesitantly. “I don’t know if that’s necessarily true.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sokka did not like where this was going. “What do you mean?” he demanded.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Aang began to fidget. “Well, Roku says that the Spirit World sort of has of mind of its own. It has…motives. You say that four days went by while I was there for what I thought was a few hours. That could be true for Katara, but if the spirits have other ideas…”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Toph winced. “So when you say that time moves differently in the Spirit World, you’re saying it <em>moves differently</em>? The flow of time can change?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Aang nodded, and Sokka blanched. “So we really have no way of guessing how long Katara has been in there with some Fire Nation clown?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Toph shushed him. “Keep it down, Sokka. You’re drawing some unwanted attention this way.” He hadn’t realized his voice had risen. He glanced toward the two well-dressed women that sat at the table closest to the noodle stall. They giggled and looked away when he met their stares. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">At that moment, the stocky man at the stall called out that their order was ready. Sokka sighed with relief. Food would help him focus. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The boys made their way to the counter to grab their bowls and sets of chopsticks. Aang had already turned to take his and Toph’s food back to the table when Sokka froze.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Have you heard about Prince Zuko?” one of the women at the other table murmured to her companion.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You mean the Fire Lord’s boy? The <em>banished</em> prince?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sokka pretended to fumble and drop one of his chopsticks, leaning in a little closer to their conversation.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Well, formally-banished. The word from the capital now is that he’s <em>missing.</em>” She paused, seemingly for dramatic effect. “Apparently, he went to visit General Iroh in prison in the middle of the night. Then he just vanished. No one has seen him in almost 24 hours, and no one has been able to get a word out of the General about where he might have gone.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sokka did the mental math and nearly choked on his spit. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“So you mean to say, he ran away?” the other woman chirped, not bothering to hide her delight at this bit of juicy scandal.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I heard from someone in the palace that there was an important war council meeting. The rumor is, the prince didn’t agree with whatever was decided during the meeting. Some say he followed his treacherous uncle's path and joined up with the Avatar’s allies.” She waggled her eyebrows conspiratorially.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The other woman gasped. “I <em>did </em>hear that the prince has been unhappy in the capital ever since his return from exile. Refusing help from servants, keeping to himself…banishment clearly didn’t do wonders for his court manners. But would he go so far as to—”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Her companion interrupted her. “Can we help you?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sokka realized he had stood up to gape at the two women, and that her question was directed at him. Her eyes were narrowed. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Oh. No, madam! I was just simply…” he tugged on his fake beard. “…contemplating how delicious this meal is going to be.” He grinned toothily, and the woman grimaced in disgust. Sokka darted back to his table before either of the gossips could say anything else. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">When he sat down, he noticed that Toph looked as tense as he felt. “You heard that, too?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She nodded. Aang glanced between them, confused. “Heard what?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“That wasn’t just any Fire Nation war balloon on Roku’s Island. It was <em>Zuko,” </em>Sokka hissed. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Aang’s eyes widened. “So, Katara—she’s stuck in the Spirit World…with <em>Zuko</em>? How do you know?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Evidently, he’s been missing for as long as Katara has. I know enough about Zuko by now to know that it probably isn’t a coincidence.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Toph nodded soberly, and there was a rigid silence before she spoke. “I don’t think coming up with a backup eclipse plan is an option anymore.” Her brows knit together. “Twinkletoes, calm down.” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Aang was on tilt. Sokka hadn’t seen the kid that angry since…well, since Appa. <em>Thank the spirits he can’t go into the Avatar State. </em>“I <em>will </em>open another spirit portal. I’ll do it tonight, and when I get to Zuko I’ll—”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sokka put a firm hand on his shoulder. “As much as I’d love to see you blow Zuko off a spirit mountain, we have to think this through. We don’t even know if you have enough strength to open another portal, and even if you <em>do</em>, we have no idea where they will be once it’s opened. You saw what happened last time—we might not have much time to find them before it closes.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Aang turned to glare at Sokka but nodded curtly after a moment. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Toph threw her arms out in exasperation. “How are we supposed to find them? Isn’t the Spirit World, you know, a world?” </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Sokka had already been forming a plan in his mind but wasn’t sure the other two would like it. He took a breath and placed his hands flat on the table. “I think we need to make a detour back to the Earth Kingdom.”</span>
</p><hr/><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Katara closed her eyes, feeling the cool mist on her face and letting the sounds of peculiar music and easygoing chatter fill her ears. The park was bustling with activity in the mid-afternoon sun. The large central fountain’s bursting streams of her element were the only thing keeping her from overheating. Why couldn’t she have been dropped in a reality dealing with an eternal winter? This place was <em>hot. </em></span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She curled her fingers. If she could just—no one would notice…</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A tremendous cheer interrupted the steady hum of noise, and she turned to watch a group of street performers dazzle a growing crowd. A man was pulling spectators from the audience to line them up back-to-back. As he did so, Katara noticed him take green bills from each of them. <em>Thanks, Google. </em></span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Yes, Google had been a friend to her in her explorations over the last couple of days. As it turned out, the other Katara carried quite a bit of that paper currency that she had, at first, thought worthless. She tried not to think of it as stealing whenever she spent it on things like the edible cookie dough—whatever that was—that sat half-eaten in her left hand. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Once all six of the participants were properly lined up, each of the performers took turns <em>jumping over</em> the startled group. They flipped and twirled, whistling over the frozen figures as the audience ‘ooo’ed and ‘aww’ed. Six people, and not one of them so much as clipped! Katara couldn’t help but wonder if there were, in fact, airbenders here, hiding in plain sight. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">With a subtle hand movement, she pulled the cooling mist of the fountain closer to her body. If <em>that</em> was possible…</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Katara needed some answers. She had sent a message to Meili that she wouldn’t be coming into work for the rest of the week, ignored the concerned response, and spent the better part of two days looking. For what, exactly, she wasn’t sure, but she needed a new lead. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She attempted in vain to ignore the ache in her heart for Aang. <em>It’s not real</em>, she had repeated to herself over and over again. There had to be another way out. Maybe General Iroh was a jumping-off point, but she couldn’t wait around like a sitting turtle duck for him to help. So, she searched.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The seemingly-endless city was still overwhelming, no doubt, but Katara was finding herself beginning to feel numb to it. There was a certain charm to the filth and the noise. She was learning not to be surprised by every tiny abnormality she stumbled across. <em>Everything about this</em> was abnormal. Water adapted. She had to adapt.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">There were, of course, things that were impossible to overlook, like the building made entirely of glass which seemed to literally touch the sky, that she had stumbled upon yesterday afternoon. Or, the impossibly long bridge that she had walked across, only to find even more cityscape on its other side. That had been a particularly late night…</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Her side trips aside, she was beginning to resign herself to Zuko’s insistence on their cooperation. Mostly because she was running out of ideas. But there was something else, too. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Zuko seemed genuinely conflicted about his family’s…tendency toward destruction. There was no denying that his uncle had rubbed off on him, if only slightly. Sure, she had gotten the same impression in Ba Sing Se. But, he was clearly <em>still </em>struggling, even after having gone home with his ‘honor’ intact. Perhaps she could use that struggle to her advantage. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">That wasn’t to say her feelings toward the firebender had changed—he had made his choice, and there was no excuse for it—but he seemed to care about people, and not just the way he cared for his uncle. Though, that was an entirely different thread to unravel. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Maybe there was hope for him yet. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She at least had gotten a better idea of where his priorities landed, and it was safe to assume that they were not in the same arrangement as those of his father. Though, she wasn’t sure how much difference that made, at the end of the day. Zuko wasn’t about to turn his back on the Fire Nation, whether he <em>agreed</em> with its actions or not. That said, the barest hint of humanity was a start. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Katara hadn’t seen much of Zuko since accepting his invitation to tea. Both nights when she had returned to the apartment, she had found him already asleep. And both mornings, he awoke at dawn and was gone long before she felt the sun burn away the last remnants of her own slumber. </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Whether he was actively avoiding her, she couldn’t tell, but she was nonetheless grateful for space. She didn’t imagine his—well, whatever that hand squeeze was—would be an isolated incident. She could only hope it wouldn’t get worse, the longer they stayed in this place. <em>La, don’t let it happen to me, too. </em></span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Katara took another bite of cookie dough and rose from her place on the fountain’s edge. Just as she did so, she felt a persistent buzz from the device in her pocket—a call from Sokka.</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hi, Sokka.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hey, hey. Just calling to check on how that planning is going. Have you made any reservations for Thursday?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">A wince. She knew this was coming. “Ah, no. Still working on it. Work got busy.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“All good, no worries. I just needed something to tell Mom the next time she asks me.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She couldn’t bring herself to plan this dinner with her parents, knowing that <em>she </em>wouldn’t actually be there for it. Or, so she kept telling herself. The ‘Aang died peacefully in his sleep of old age’ revelation had undoubtedly thrown a wrench into her plans. But even if she <em>was</em> still stuck here when the dinner came around, how could she get through seeing her mom again, knowing it would be the last time—in a life that wasn’t even hers?</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hello? Katara?”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Traitorous tears were threatening to fall. “Oh, sorry. Um. Just tell her you’ve been looking on Google but haven’t found a place yet.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Ha, okay. Probably could’ve come up with that one on my own. Well, they get here tomorrow, so you should come up with something soon.” A brief pause, then: “Is everything okay between you and Zuko? Things seemed a little…weird the other night.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>Oh, Sokka. You have no idea. </em>“Yup. Everything’s fine.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Huh. Well, that’s good! Listen, I gotta go. Let me know when you make the dinner reservation.”</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He was gone before she could say anything else. <em>Deep breaths. Don’t get sidetracked. Focus on right now. </em></span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">And <em>right</em> <em>now</em>, she realized, was when Zuko had told her to meet him at the tea shop. She pulled up Google. TranquiliTea, was it?</span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1"><em>Deep breaths.</em> </span>
</p><p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Steeling herself, she began the brisk walk toward a reluctant alliance. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Truthfully, I planned to have them at tea with Iroh in this chapter. Sometimes my brain gets away from me! I also played around with the show's timeline a little bit, which may or may not have been intentional. A sincere thank you to everyone who has taken the time to click on this story, especially to those who commented and left kudos! The feedback and words of encouragement really do make this process so much more rewarding.</p><p>I'll be moving apartments in the coming weeks, so expect possible delays in updates. I'm also realizing I've made the rookie mistake of not backlogging chapters. As much as I want to update every week, I also want to make sure it's not garbage! Bear with me. :)</p><p>I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Let me know what you think!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA or LoK.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Iroh sat at the small table nearest the shop’s front, combing through the inventory list and making notes of what needed to be purchased. It was a welcome distraction amid a rather quiet afternoon.</p><p>A heatwave so stifling typically brought customers pouring into the tea shop, but it had been an unusually slow day. That stillness, Iroh knew, was at least partly due to the air of tension that seemed to cling to his nephew more stubbornly with each passing hour. Iroh eyed Zuko warily as the boy flitted around behind the counter, opening and closing cupboards, cleaning—fidgeting.</p><p>Perhaps it had been naive to hope that once Zuko had confessed to his—ah, predicament, that the rigidity of the boy’s shoulders, the strain evident in his gait, would dissipate. </p><p>Well, some of it had—at least where Iroh was concerned. Zuko was visibly more composed—more…himself—in his uncle’s presence. He had been more than happy to arrive early for his shifts the past two days for some ‘real world’ lessons. Iroh took small comfort in knowing that the young man who was-but-wasn’t his nephew could, at the very least, pay off his credit card bill and refill his MetroCard. </p><p>It was nothing he hadn’t already taught Zuko, of course. The kid wouldn’t be so city-savvy if it wasn’t for his old uncle’s guidance. This round of teachings was simply a review session. </p><p>Well, except that it wasn’t.</p><p>He watched as Lu Ten emerged from the backroom to make another lighthearted joke at his cousin’s expense. Zuko, as he had done in response to the last several of the quips, merely stiffened, looking anywhere but at Lu Ten. This time, he turned toward the menu, reading it with the concentration of a scholar. Iroh suppressed a grimace, his mind unavoidably wandering for the nth time to the potential reasons for his son’s ignorance.</p><p>He hadn’t wanted to believe Zuko’s confession at first, but it did explain why, despite appearances, Zuko was most certainly <em>not</em> himself. And he couldn’t pretend he hadn’t seen the boy conjure that flame from thin air. </p><p>But it wasn’t what Zuko had told him that worried Iroh the most. Of course, it was more than concerning to hear that his nephew was on the run from an endless war in another life. He shuddered to imagine the kinds of horrors he and his family must have endured and would continue to suffer once Zuko made it back to this other life. Of course, Iroh could not bear to think of that as anything but an inevitability. He had his own nephew to consider. Was <em>his </em>Zuko now trapped in this other world? </p><p>He blinked rapidly. Back to the trouble at hand. There was something else that Zuko wasn’t telling him. Sure, there was the possibility that Iroh simply didn’t know the right questions to ask about the young man’s life. It had, after all, been a lot for him to wrap his head around. But there was something about the vagueness of Zuko’s responses…something about the way he continued to treat Lu Ten.</p><p>The two cousins were extremely close, as far as Iroh knew. Curious that Zuko had confided in his uncle first, rather than Lu Ten. Iroh supposed there was the possibility that Zuko and Lu Ten simply didn’t have the same type of relationship in this other life. He reminded himself that this was <em>not </em>his Zuko. He didn’t know this person. This…angry, confused person…was he merely a product of the painful reality of his world? </p><p>No. There was something more. </p><p>His reverie was interrupted by the bell ringing that signaled a customer—the first in what felt like hours. He watched as Zuko moved away from his spot hovering near the back, where he had spent the last several minutes observing Lu Ten cook a new batch of boba. He gave the young girl a small smile, taking her order with relative aplomb. </p><p>It was becoming increasingly evident that this Zuko was a quicker learner than the nephew he knew. Or at least, he was decent at pretending.</p><p>Iroh thought that he could feel his brain physically twist at that last thought. </p><p>Before long, the day was over. The boys had already begun the cleanup process, Zuko wiping down the counter at the front while Lu Ten filled the sink with soapy water in the back. </p><p>Once the former was finished, he approached Iroh’s table hesitantly. “Um. What’s next on the to-do list?”</p><p>Iroh closed his binder; the inventory list only half-finished. “Why don’t you go help Lu Ten in the back? I’ll finish up out here.” </p><p>Zuko’s eyes widened a fraction. Brows quirked, Iroh folded his hands and waited for a protest. Instead, Zuko nodded stiffly and turned on his heel, the tension back in his shoulders. </p><p>Iroh couldn’t hope to hear what was said between the cousins above his son’s now-blasting music, but he didn’t need to. It was as if the floor had turned to eggshells the moment Zuko entered the room. </p><p>Iroh made a mental note to brew a calming jasmine for their tea that afternoon. </p><p>More time had passed than he realized, and in his preoccupation, he almost didn’t notice when Lu Ten made his way toward the exit, backpack and scooter in hand. “Uh, Dad? Need some help?” he said, surveying the cluttered seating area.</p><p>Registering that he had not, in fact, finished up when Zuko went to the back, Iroh smiled sheepishly. “Ah, no. My joints are just a bit more tired than usual this afternoon. Go on home. You’ve got a long commute ahead. Zuko will stay back to help out.”</p><p>Lu Ten shrugged and shouldered his backpack before turning back toward his cousin, who was now hovering behind the counter. “Hey, Zuke. Smash tournament this weekend? It’s been a minute since you’ve come hang. My roommate got us a sick new sound system in the living room.”</p><p>Zuko paled. “Um. I…can’t? I have to—uh. Katara’s parents are coming to visit.”</p><p>Iroh knew this to be true. Katara herself had mentioned it during a visit to the shop last week. How did Zuko manage to still make it sound like a lie?</p><p>Lu Ten smirked. “No worries. Gotta make a good impression, right?” He gave his cousin an exaggerated wink. “See ya tomorrow,” he said with a half-wave toward Iroh. The door clanged shut behind him, and they were alone. </p><hr/><p>“I told Katara to meet us here if that’s okay.”</p><p>Uncle smiled serenely. “That’s perfect. As soon as you finish taking out the trash, we’ll head upstairs.” <em>Upstairs?</em> He shot the man a questioning glance, but he had busied himself with the vacuuming. </p><p>Zuko bolted for the garbage bin, skirting as far around Uncle and the machine as possible and silently thanking Uncle for taking on that task. He had recently decided that the vacuum scared the hell out of him—though, he would never admit that aloud.</p><p>With a huff, he dropped the garbage in a heap on the side of the street that Uncle had designated. Leaving trash in the middle of the road didn’t make much sense to him, but he wasn’t about to argue with Uncle about what did and didn’t make sense in this place. Thanks to his lessons, this had been Zuko’s first day completely without incident at the tea shop—well, almost. If only Lu Ten would stop insisting on being chatty. </p><p>Brushing his hands on his pants, he made to turn back toward the shop, but not before he spotted Katara ambling toward him, squinting between the various storefronts and her phone. Zuko gave her a small wave—she glanced up at the movement and quickened her pace. </p><p>“Hi,” he said once she was within earshot, staring pointedly at a spot over her shoulder and most definitely <em>not </em>thinking about how…appropriately dressed for the weather that she was. <em>Spirits, what is </em>wrong <em>with me?</em></p><p>“Hey.”</p><p>“It’s, uh, right in here.”</p><p>Katara nodded and strode into the shop without another look at Zuko. He pursed his lips and followed after her.</p><p>Uncle’s voice rang out from inside. “Hello, Katara. You’re right in time. Thank you for coming.”</p><p>“Hi, Gen—um, Iroh. You have a lovely tea shop.” </p><p>It took effort for Zuko not to smack his hand against his forehead as he stepped in behind her. She was a military rank away from opening up the one can of beetle worms he desperately needed to stay closed. Maybe he should have spent the last two days grilling her about what not to say at this tea rather than giving her space. <em>This is what I get for trying to be helpful. </em></p><p>He forced himself to let out the breath he had been holding. <em>Don’t overreact. She hasn’t ruined everything. Yet. </em></p><p>Uncle was ushering them back out the front door, handing Zuko the key to lock up as he prattled on to Katara about the importance of correct tapioca consistency. He opened another, less conspicuous door right next to the shop entrance that led into a modest lobby and a set of stairs, laid out similarly to Zuko and Katara’s apartment building. They walked up three flights before Uncle stopped in front of the door to what Zuko assumed was his apartment. </p><p>Katara let out a small snort of amusement at the doormat embossed with the phrase, “Please wipe your paws.” Zuko felt his eyes involuntarily roll as he followed her over the threshold.</p><p>The first thing that caught his attention was how much nicer his uncle’s place was than his and Katara’s. Though, he supposed that wasn’t exactly high praise, given the shape their apartment was in. A door stood open to the right that led to a separate bedroom, and with a pang of jealousy, Zuko wished he and Uncle could trade.</p><p>“You have a beautiful home,” said Katara brightly, echoing his thoughts—albeit minus the bitterness.</p><p>The creak of the wood and the cracks in the crown moldings proved that time had performed its irreversible deeds. Still, the home had a simple elegance that reflected its occupant. Late afternoon light streamed from a bay window into a cozy living area. It stretched across the space, illuminating where they now stood in the kitchen. </p><p>Uncle was flashing Katara his best grin, and Zuko had to suppress a small one of his own.</p><p>A high-pitched mewl sounded from the bedroom before a light patter of feet approached Uncle, and Zuko watched him bend down to scratch the head of a small gray cat. Katara gasped and knelt down next to him, beaming.</p><p>“This is Mushi,” Uncle announced, his chest swelling with pride. The cat sniffed at Katara’s fingers before pushing its head gently against them. </p><p>A memory of Uncle’s red, swollen face as an Earth Kingdom woman slathered him with ointment swam in Zuko’s mind. He smirked. “Mushi? Nice name.”</p><p>The older man chuckled. “Well I would sure hope you think so. You’re the one who named him.” </p><p>Zuko shifted uncomfortably. From the corner of his eye, he saw Katara straighten. The chuckle died in Uncle’s throat, and he quickly added, “Though I suppose it wasn’t <em>you </em>who named him, was it?”</p><p>There it was. The subtle shift in the air that told Zuko the time for small talk was over. Uncle sighed and gestured for them to sit at the small table in the center of the space. Katara led the way, Mushi trailing after her.</p><p>Uncle put the kettle on before turning to face them from his place by the stove. His brows inched up a fraction as he looked between them. Katara had moved her chair to sit as far from Zuko as the table would allow.</p><p>“So, Miss Katara. I understand you and my nephew are experiencing a similar predicament,” Uncle said after a few moments of silence. </p><p>She nodded and, apparently feeling Zuko’s eyes on her, scowled in his direction. </p><p>If Uncle noticed this, he did not say. “Why don’t you tell me a little bit about yourself? Where are you from?” As he spoke, he began opening cupboards, retrieving cups, and bringing them to the table. He removed the kettle from the stove and poured the steaming golden liquid into the cups, pushing one each toward them. </p><p>“I’m from the Southern Water Tribe,” she stated proudly, nodding her thanks to Uncle as she took hold of her teacup. </p><p>“Ah, yes, Zuko did mention the Water Tribes.” </p><p>“Did he, now?” </p><p>Zuko squeezed his eyes shut. The venom in her tone was thinly-veiled, but Uncle went on like he hadn’t heard it. “Yes. I can’t imagine living in the South Pole.” He gave an exaggerated shiver. “It must be very beautiful.”</p><p>She gave him a shaky smile. “Yes. It is.”</p><p>He seemed to hesitate slightly before asking his next question. “And can you, um, use any of the elements?”</p><p>Her smile transformed into something closer to a smirk. Instead of answering, she streamed the tea from her cup, looping it over the table, around Uncle’s head. Then she bent it back into her cup and froze it in place. Zuko shuddered at several memories of Katara using her waterbending for less amiable purposes.</p><p>Uncle’s eyes widened. “Incredible! I suppose I should have put the pieces together when you said you were from the Water Tribe.” He frowned. “But, now your tea will be cold. Let me get you a new cup.” He made to stand.</p><p>Zuko sighed and reached for the cup. He blew steam over it until the ice had melted, and the tea was once again hot. Katara shot him an unreadable look but said nothing. </p><p>Uncle chuckled lightly, shaking his head as he sat back down. “I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that.”</p><p>They sat in not-quite-companionable silence for several minutes. Mushi decided his new napping place would be Katara’s lap, and Zuko watched as he spun in several circles before settling down to curl up against her. </p><p>“And how did you come to meet my nephew?” asked Uncle at last.</p><p>“We met in Ba Sing Se, the Earth Kingdom capital,” Zuko inserted quickly. He met Katara’s icy gaze, eyes pleading. Her silence urged him on. “Uncle, I was working for you in your tea shop there.”</p><p>Whatever suspicion that had crossed the other man’s expression at their interaction dissipated upon hearing those last words, and a broad grin stretched his face. “Some things never change, eh?” </p><p>And suddenly, all Zuko could see was the image of his uncle rotting in a prison cell. Because Zuko made his choice. And to his horror, he felt the overwhelming urge to cry, to get down on his knees and beg for forgiveness. But he didn’t, and Uncle had turned his attention back to Katara.</p><p>“Correct me if I’m wrong, but the Earth Kingdom capital is far away from the South Pole, no? What brought you so far from home?”</p><p>“My brother and I were traveling with the Avatar. He’s—”</p><p>“The Avatar? Is that the person who can use all of the elements?” interrupted Uncle. There was an unmistakable fascination coloring his tone. </p><p>She nodded, and Zuko felt her eyes on him. He didn’t look up from the small chip in the wood of the table he had been examining, the image of the dank prison cell still haunting his consciousness. </p><p>Katara continued. “He’s supposed to end the war by stopping the Fire Lord from taking over the Earth Kingdom, and he has the best chance of doing that during a solar eclipse. There is going to be one in a week. That’s why I have to get out of your reality right away to help him save mine.”</p><p>Zuko glanced up briefly to read his uncle’s expression, which had morphed into one of confusion. “Why does he need an eclipse to end the war?”</p><p>“Because firebenders lose their bending during solar eclipses. It will leave the Fire Lord vulnerable.”</p><p>The others started when Zuko suddenly spoke. “Except that it won’t, because the Fire Nation already knows about your attack plans,” he said in exasperation. Did she really need that reminder?</p><p>“Not if I can get back in time for them to change the plans!” </p><p>“It won’t matter! You think Azu—you think the Fire Nation hasn’t anticipated every possible change of plans?”</p><p>Mushi gave an indignant yowl as Katara shot to her feet, glaring down at Zuko. </p><p>Uncle put a placating hand on the waterbender’s wrist before turning a level gaze on his nephew. “You seem to have quite a lot of information about the Fire Nation’s war strategy.” </p><p><em>No, no, no. </em>He’d slipped again. He could feel the color drain from his face as he glanced desperately between his uncle and Katara. </p><p>The latter seemed to register his panicked expression, however. She appeared to compose herself as she sat back down, taking a large gulp of her tea. “Everyone knows the Fire Lord’s daughter is a strategic genius. She’s almost always one step ahead of her enemies. Zuko is just being pessimistic. Right, Zuko?” </p><p>Her blue eyes bore into his. He hoped that the furtive look he responded with adequately conveyed the intense gratitude he felt toward her at that moment. He swallowed and nodded meekly. </p><p>“But I’m confident Aang will defeat the Fire Lord,” Katara added. “As long as I get out of here as soon as possible.”</p><p>Uncle glanced between them, a furrow in his brow, before he nodded. “And you’re hoping I may be able to help you with that?”</p><p>“Yes. Do you know of any place here that might somehow be connected to the Spirit World?”</p><p>Zuko exhaled, thankful that Katara had decided to continue doing the talking. Uncle seemed a bit thrown by the question, however. “Well, here we have a lot of definitions of what a spiritual place might be. I can’t say that I know of a place that I would consider universally sacred.”</p><p>Katara’s face fell, and Uncle seemed to notice because he continued rather hastily. “I would recommend starting by visiting some of the temples and monasteries outside the city. I myself have never been, but I’ve heard good things from my more spiritually inclined friends. I believe the nearest one is about an hour and half’s drive.”</p><p>Her head snapped up. “Drive?” Zuko had no idea what that meant, but the fearful look in Katara’s eyes told him that she did.</p><p>Uncle absorbed her tone and smiled gently. “I’m sure a northbound train would get you close enough.” With that, he poured more tea in his and Katara’s cups. He stopped short and made a face upon noticing Zuko’s, which had gone untouched.</p><p>“Zuko, you’ve been quiet. I was under the impression you’d have a lot of questions about your life here.”</p><p>Both sets of eyes were on him now. In truth, he’d had about a million questions he had wanted to ask Uncle. But Katara’s single-minded determination to escape…</p><p>“Surely you’re curious about all of this.” Uncle gestured widely with his arms. He gave Katara an apologetic glance. “I regret that I might not be able to help you as much as I’d like to with your plans for getting back home. But,” he turned back to Zuko, “I might be able to help you make your time here a little more comfortable and a little less confusing. Away from prying eyes.” He gave Zuko a pointed look at those last words.</p><p>Indeed, Uncle had helped Zuko immensely over the last few days with some of the more technical aspects of the other Zuko’s life here. But they had been careful not to discuss anything more than that with Lu Ten’s imminent arrival in the tea shop each morning. He wondered once more why Uncle had yet to ask him the question he so dreaded.</p><p>But his own curiosity outweighed that dread, at least for now. Zuko recalled what the woman on the street had said to him the other day, and he couldn’t take it anymore. He had to know. “Where is my father?”</p><hr/><p>Katara felt her eyes bug out of her head. It took every ounce of her strength not to burst out laughing. Fire Lord Ozai? An <em>actor</em>? </p><p>“A rather successful one, actually. He’s in the city right now doing a limited-run play. I tried to get tickets, but it was sold out,” Iroh continued. Zuko looked decidedly unamused but was otherwise silent.</p><p>“But he’s your brother. Could he not have just given you tickets if you asked?” supplied Katara. </p><p>Zuko scoffed. “You obviously don’t know my father.”</p><p>Iroh nodded thoughtfully. “It sounds like your experiences with my brother aren’t too far off from your…counterpart’s.” </p><p>The firebender flinched. It didn’t slip Katara’s notice when he—seemingly unconsciously—reached up to palm the left side of his face. She suddenly felt nauseous.</p><p>He licked his lips, and his voice wavered just slightly. “What do you mean?”</p><p>“Well, none of you are on speaking terms with Ozai. Except maybe Azula, but I don’t think it’s more than birthday texts and Father’s Day cards.” </p><p>Zuko had gone very still. “By ‘none of us’, you mean…”</p><p>“You, your mother, and your sister,” answered Iroh. “Especially once the divorce went through, and Ursa got custody. Ozai was given visitation rights, but once his career took off and he moved out west…” he trailed off when he saw the look on his nephew’s face.</p><p>He appeared to be staring right through his uncle. His hands were clenched tightly on his thighs, and he was visibly shaking. Tears had begun leaking from his eyes, though Katara was sure he didn’t notice, as he made no moves to wipe them away.</p><p>“My mother. Where is she?” he said thickly. </p><p>Iroh moved his chair closer to Zuko’s and hesitantly draped an arm around his shoulders. “She and Azula live right across the river. I’m sure they’d love it if you paid them a visit.”</p><p>Katara couldn’t help the small gasp that escaped her lips. That seemed to snap Zuko back into himself. “Azula?” </p><p>“Yes, it’s my understanding that she is living at home to save money. She commutes into the city for university.” </p><p>No one spoke for several minutes. Zuko appeared to be putting all of his mental efforts into processing the information as he stared into his teacup. Iroh looked to Katara for help, but she was as lost as he was. Why he thought she would know how to handle Zuko’s feelings was a mystery to her. Had her distaste for him not been obvious?</p><p>Mushi returned to the table, then, and Katara reached down absently to give him a scratch on the ears. He purred loudly in contentment.</p><p>“What about Mai?” Zuko said at last with a carefully measured calm. He used his shirt to scrub the evidence of his earlier reaction from his face. This was not at all what Katara had expected him to say. <em>Does he mean the girl with the knives? </em></p><p>Iroh clearly hadn’t anticipated the question, either. “Mai?”</p><p>“She’s my, uh, girlfriend.” He shot Katara a brief glance as he said it. <em>Is that…guilt?</em></p><p>Realization dawned in Iroh’s expression, and Katara was reminded of Sokka’s days playing detective at Chin Village. His mouth had formed a small ‘o’ as he pointed between Zuko and Katara. <em>Mystery solved.</em> <em>Just how well did he think Zuko and I know each other? </em></p><p>He quickly recovered. “I’m afraid I don’t know a Mai. Does she have a last name?”</p><p>Zuko shook his head, and Katara could see it solidifying in his expression. <em>Yes, definitely guilt.</em> She briefly attempted to imagine Zuko and the knife girl together, but her brain couldn’t quite picture it.</p><p>Noting the look of confusion that had crossed Iroh’s face, she jumped in to explain. “Not very many people have last names where we’re from.”</p><p>“What? How are you able to find anyone? Surely, you two aren’t the only Zuko and Katara out there,” he said with a chuckle.</p><p>She hadn’t ever really thought of it that way, but Katara was reasonably certain that she <em>was </em>the only Katara out there. The look that Zuko gave her told her the same thought had entered his mind. They both shrugged.</p><p>“So, you and the knife girl, huh?” Katara couldn’t help her smug tone.</p><p>Zuko bristled at the nickname. “They’re called stilettos.”</p><p>“Whatever.” Katara took in his somehow even gloomier demeanor but resisted asking the next question on her mind.</p><p>However, she didn’t need to resist any longer because Zuko spoke again. “I left her without saying goodbye. I didn’t think I’d be gone for very long.”</p><p>She took a moment to absorb his words and tried not to think about how long they had truly been gone. <em>When did Zuko have time to get a girlfriend between Ba Sing Se and now?</em> It was almost comforting to focus on something so trivial as the prince’s love life. It gave her momentary respite from her problems.</p><p>“How long have you known her?” The question slipped out before she could stop herself.</p><p>He seemed as surprised by her probing as she was. “Since we were kids. We were together before—before I left the Fire Nation.” His eyes shifted toward Iroh as he said it. Katara had momentarily forgotten the other man’s presence. He said nothing, though, and seemed suspiciously invested in their conversation.</p><p>“So all of those years you were…traveling. You had someone waiting for you at home? Must’ve been some reunion.”</p><p>The words brought a furrow to his brow. “Um…yeah, I guess.” He suddenly looked deep in thought.</p><p>And then Katara realized that she was actually having this discussion with <em>Zuko</em> when so much else was at stake—in front of his uncle, no less. Said uncle was now openly smirking at them. <em>Focus, Katara.</em></p><p>Zuko, too, seemed to realize the absurdity of their conversation in the context of their current situation, because he was the next one to break the silence. “I want to try something.” His gaze found something in the living room. Katara watched in confusion as he abruptly stood to make his way toward whatever it was.</p><p>However, she realized what he was doing when he returned to the table, holding a small candle.</p><p>With a snap, a small flame appeared on his pointer finger. He used it to set the wick alight. “Uncle, there’s one thing I haven’t told you.” Katara felt her mouth twitch up slightly. <em>One thing? </em></p><p>She turned to Iroh, who was looking between his nephew and the candle with puzzlement. Though there was a glimmer of something else in his eyes. Maybe he could sense Zuko’s dishonesty in those last words.</p><p>“Firebending runs in my family,” Zuko continued. <em>Ha. It sure does.</em></p><p>It took several seconds for the other man to register his words. Then, he was gesturing to himself with wide, questioning eyes. Zuko gave him a curt nod.</p><p>“I’m fairly certain I can’t shoot fire out of my hands, Zuko.”</p><p>“That’s because no one has ever taught you how to do it,” stated the firebender confidently. Observing the skepticism etched into Iroh’s face, Katara wasn’t entirely sure she shared that confidence.</p><p>“Just focus all of your concentration on the flame, and take deep breaths. Firebending comes from the breath.” At that, the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.</p><p>Iroh looked doubtful, but did as his nephew asked. As he began the breathing exercise, Zuko continued to speak quiet encouragements. “Good. Feel the fire move with your chi, in time with your breath. Make the flame grow.”</p><p>Iroh continued to humor his nephew for several minutes. As far as Katara could tell, the fire had not changed. Zuko seemed determined, however. There was uncharacteristic patience emanating from him as he continued attempting to coax his uncle’s bending ability.</p><p>Katara had long since excused herself to go play with Mushi in the living area when she finally heard Zuko’s defeated sigh. Smiling sadly at the cat’s disappointed mew at her departure, she made her way back to the table. The only indication of how much time had passed was the state of the candle. It had burned almost all the way down.</p><p>Zuko, true to form, appeared frustrated, running his hands roughly through his hair. Iroh just seemed tired. He smiled ruefully at Katara. “I thought I saw the flame flicker once or twice.” Zuko’s answering groan told her that had not been the case.</p><p>Katara tried in vain to hide her disappointment. She hadn’t realized until then that so much of her hope had been riding on the slim possibility that there were other benders in this place. Were she and Zuko truly alone, then?</p><p>Not entirely, she supposed. Iroh was a kind man, and he had done what he could to help…but she had a feeling those temples he mentioned would not be enough. She let out a small sigh. It was a start and seeing as they were back at square one, a start was the best she could ask for.</p><p>Iroh’s voice broke her out of her thoughts. “Would you two like to stay for dinner? I’m making pork and green chile stew.” She could hear the unspoken apology beneath the words, see the despondency in his eyes. Here was a man who would do whatever it took to solve his nephew’s problems.</p><p>Zuko’s silence was deafening. He was evidently as disheartened as Katara felt. She spoke for them both. “Thank you, but I think we should get going.” Zuko stood from the table, then, affirming her words.</p><p>“I understand. You have much to discuss.” <em>Do we? </em>Katara, truthfully, didn’t feel that they had reaped many benefits from their visit. Well, <em>she</em> hadn’t. Zuko’s pensive behavior regarding the information about his family was cause for concern. They needed to focus.</p><p>But she found herself unable to entirely blame him. Even she was a little curious. A flurry of new questions had floated to her mind at the mention of Zuko’s …tumultous relationship with the Fire Lord. And his mother…</p><p>She shook the thoughts away and moved toward the door, Zuko on her heels. Iroh met them there. “Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you while you’re here. I’m sure you’re overwhelmed, and I want to help you in whatever way I can,” he said sincerely.</p><p>Katara grinned. Then, she remembered something he <em>could</em> help with, and her smile turned sheepish. “Actually, I did have one question.” He nodded enthusiastically.</p><p>“How would one go about paying the rent due on Friday?”</p><hr/><p>They walked in silence. The sun had begun to set behind the massive buildings looming in the distance, casting the quiet street in a golden glow.</p><p>“You certainly learned a lot today,” Katara murmured. Zuko wasn’t sure how to respond to that. He settled on nodding.</p><p>Dissatisfied, she went on. “Don’t forget that this isn’t your life. There’s no time for family reunions.”</p><p>Part of Zuko wished that this <em>was</em> his life. If he couldn’t have his father’s acceptance, either way, he would rather live in a world where he had his mother. And Azula? He tried to imagine who she would be without Ozai’s influence. He could find Mai, and—</p><p>Mai. She had been such an afterthought. What was wrong with him? Katara’s words from earlier swirled in his mind. <em>Must have been some reunion.</em> He had to suppress a bitter laugh.</p><p>He wanted to tell Katara that it didn’t matter what they did. Whatever happened in their world was going to happen, whether she and Zuko were there for it or not. The Avatar was going to challenge the Fire Lord with or without her help, and for all she knew, the eclipse had long passed. He wanted to tell her how desperately he needed to see his mother. That she would regret not seeing her own mother.</p><p>But he remained silent, too exhausted to start with her.</p><p>Evidently determined to get a rise out of him, Katara kept talking. “I still don’t understand why you’re so adamant about not telling your uncle who your family is. You can tell him that your dad is the Fire Lord without mentioning your cousin.”</p><p>He continued to steadfastly ignore her as they rounded the corner of their street. She knew perfectly well why he couldn’t do that.</p><p>“It’s almost like you’re <em>ashamed</em> of your family. Wonder why that would be?”</p><p>He dropped the keys he had been fumbling with at the front door. A puff of steam—no, actual fire—involuntarily blew from his nostrils. “I’m not doing this with you right now.”</p><p>For a moment, she looked ready to retaliate but seemed to think better of it. Her eyes softened. She bent down to pick up the keys and unlocked the door without another word.</p><p>The climb up the stairs felt much more prolonged and steeper than it usually did. When they finally stepped into the small studio, Zuko made a beeline for the futon. To his immense relief, Katara made no moves to press him further. He half-listened to the sounds of clinking dishes as she shuffled around the kitchen, presumably making herself a quick dinner.</p><p>Just before the noise lulled him completely to sleep, she spoke softly once more—though Zuko thought he might have dreamt it.</p><p>“Did your father give you that scar?”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I'm so sorry for the delay on this. Moving has been an absolute nightmare. I'm hoping to get on a more regular update schedule soon, but I can't make any promises just yet while I finish unpacking!</p><p>This chapter took a lot of reworking and I'm honestly a little disappointed with how it turned out, but I hope it was at least worth the wait. Let me know what you think in the comments or just drop in and say hi! I'd love to hear from you.</p><p>Thanks so much once again to all of those who have reviewed and left kudos. Special thanks to those of you who have left a comment every update! It truly means so much to me.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA or LoK.</p><p>CW: allusion to death + abuse</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sleep evaded her. After hours of staring at the ceiling, Katara finally threw the blankets off herself and went to the window. She knew by the subtle pull in her blood that the moon was nearly full, but the scene outside could have fooled anyone else. It seemed that the glow of the city drowned out any discernible natural light.</p><p>As was typical—though she would never quite get used to it—the city was alive despite the late hour. Countless windows were lit, and behind many of them, Katara could see the bustle of movement. The blaring sounds of the rolling death machines cut through the air like glass. In the distance, a strange purple glow lit the roof of one particularly tall building. A packed bar buzzed with chatter across the street below, its crowd of patrons spilling out onto the walkway. The smell of smoke permeated Katara’s senses, despite the protection of the dusty window. There was no lull in excitements to behold as her eyes scanned the endless scene. But amongst the constant activity, there was a certain, unexplainable peace that blanketed this place at night. She frowned, turning away from the window. How she wished that peace would claim her.</p><p>She spared a glance at Zuko, who had spent the better part of the night tossing and turning in a fitful sleep. At the moment, he was an undefined lump under a thrashing blanket, the only visible part of him one pale arm in a white-knuckled grip on the edge of the futon. Evidently, Katara was not alone in her restlessness. Tearing her gaze from the firebender, she moved to sit at the table, making sure to position herself so that her back faced him.</p><p>As if just not looking at him would make any difference.</p><p>Her attempts to quell her thoughts of Zuko’s family and the implications of what little he had divulged of it were proving futile. The only concrete conclusion that she could draw was that Zuko’s past was more…complicated than he let on. To dive deeper than that—well, she wasn’t sure she wanted to know. Immense relief had washed over her when he neglected to answer her final question of the evening, one that had slipped out of her before she could stop herself. Though she wasn’t entirely sure that he heard her ask it. Even if he did, Katara doubted he would ever tell her.</p><p>What did it matter, anyway?The Fire Nation Royal Family history would not bring her any closer to escape.</p><p><em>Time for a distraction. </em>She pulled out her phone, resting it on the table in front of her and using her index fingers to press the Google square. Her lips pulled up slightly at the corners. It truly had become her best friend.</p><p>
  <em>‘temples da ping guo’</em>
</p><p>The image changed, and in front of her now was a detailed map with numerous red dots marking what Katara assumed were temples. She sighed as she counted at least twenty of them in their general proximity. It was going to take forever to get to all of them. In fact, it wasn’t even possible to get to all of them.</p><p><em>Maybe I can narrow them down. </em>Her gaze found Zuko’s black bag—the one she had rummaged through what felt like weeks ago but actually only four days ago—discarded on the floor near the table. She dug out the bound parchment and one of several writing utensils that littered the bottom of the bag. Flipping to a new page, Katara wrote out the characters for <em>‘Promising Temples’ </em>in her elegant script at the top and silently thanked whoever from this reality decided to do away with inkwells.</p><p>Turning her attention back to the phone, she began pressing on the red dots at random. But after several minutes of doing so, her list of promising temples remained blank. She suppressed an exasperated sigh. There was nothing about any of them that stuck out. Of course, she didn’t even know what to look for.</p><p>Perhaps it would be better to ask Iroh for a list.</p><p>And of course, her thoughts of Iroh inevitably led her mind back to what she wanted so desperately not to think about.</p><p>As if on cue, Zuko began mumbling in his sleep, the sound too muffled to decipher. Katara reluctantly swiveled around, only to find that he was no longer covered by the blanket. It was now a crumpled mound on the floor.</p><p>Thanks to the artificial light outside, the small apartment was never completely dark. She could see clearly that Zuko lay facedown, pressed into a cushion. He had unceremoniously thrown his pants over the futon’s side, leaving him in a pair of undershorts. He hadn’t changed out of his white tunic from earlier, which was now damp with sweat and clinging to the taut muscles of his back. One hand was fisted into his mess of dark hair, the other stretched in front of him as if to reach something unseen. Katara frowned at the odd angle of his body as he clutched hopelessly at empty air. Her gaze fell to his bare legs dangling awkwardly off the futon’s end, and she felt a small pang of guilt upon realizing it was far too small for his towering form.</p><p>The cushion still swallowed his groans, but Katara could just make out that he was repeating the same sound over and over again. Inexplicably, she found herself standing to move closer to him. She crouched down next to the futon, near enough to see his shoulders’ shaky rise and fall. Then, hesitantly, “Zuko?”</p><p>The firebender abruptly turned his body to face her, and Katara stiffened. His eyes were screwed tightly shut, his lips contorted into a deep grimace. A sheen of sweat glistened on his skin in the dim light. She let out the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding when it became evident he was still very much asleep.</p><p>For a moment, Katara could only stare at his flawless face. It hadn’t occurred to her just how immediately her eyes tended to flit to the scar when she looked at him until it was no longer there to pull her focus. The man in front of her was…well, he was still Zuko. But she couldn’t shake the feeling that his features seemed incomplete without his mark.</p><p>
  <em>The mark of the banished prince…</em>
</p><p>She closed her eyes at the memory. <em>Whenever I would imagine the face of the enemy, it was your face. </em></p><p>Katara felt her fist close tightly in an involuntary gesture to soothe the prickling in her fingers. She recalled the feeling of the prince’s marred skin, the sight of his eyes falling shut as he unconsciously leaned into her touch. What if Aang and Iroh had shown up just a few moments later? What if she had gone through with an attempt to heal him? Would he have made the same choice?</p><p>“Please,” croaked Zuko, shaking her from her thoughts. “Please…”</p><p>Without warning, he reached out, snatching her wrist. Katara’s eyes widened. The hand was hot and clammy, but his fingers kept her in a vicelike grip when she tried to pull away. He continued to whisper the word to her in his sleep, and her breathing fractionally quickened with each passing second.</p><p>“Please…Father…” She froze.</p><p>“…I am your loyal son,” he moaned softly. Then he was still, and Katara could feel her pulse hammering in her ears. The hold on her wrist began to slacken, but she found herself unable to move as she gaped at Zuko.</p><p>And suddenly, he was sitting up, and he was clawing at his face, and he was screaming. It was the kind of agonizing wail that made Katara’s blood run cold.</p><p>Without thinking, she lunged forward and clamped her hands on his shoulders. “Zuko, wake up!” For good measure, she gave him a violent shake. “Wake up—it’s not real!”</p><p>It took effort not to flinch away from the heat that radiated through the thin fabric of his shirt, but Katara could almost immediately see him begin to respond to her firm grip. His body trembled and heaved as he slowly came back from wherever his nightmare had taken him.</p><p>After several excruciating seconds, Zuko sagged under her hands, looking around wildly before his liquid gold eyes found hers. In the next instant, all they could do was stare at each other while he fought to catch his breath. Then, the comprehension of their relative positions seemed to simultaneously hit both of them, as Katara hastily removed her hands from him. He slumped further into the futon.</p><p>Katara sat back heavily onto the floor. Her stomach lurched horribly as the implication of what had just occurred set in—that her suspicion had been all but confirmed. Despite the scar’s conspicuous absence from the face of the man in front of her, she could imagine it with perfect clarity. How it never seemed to her like a typical burn. How it looked as though someone had forced his face into a fire and held him there. How it was shaped…almost like a handprint.</p><p>To her horror, tears began to spring to her eyes.</p><p>“I don’t want your pity.” His voice was hoarse. Katara swallowed, refusing to meet the glare he leveled onto her. She wasn’t entirely sure if ‘pity’ was the word she would use to describe her current state of emotions. He sighed and continued, “It was a long time ago.”</p><p>Something cold settled over Katara when he didn’t bother trying to deny what she now knew for certain to be true. There was a beat of silence before she hesitantly voiced her next question. “How often do you have dreams like that?”</p><p>This seemed to give him pause. When Katara finally looked up from her lap, his eyes were far away, brows knit together. “…Never, I guess. Until now.”</p><p>She took a moment to absorb his words. Had her question about his scar triggered the nightmare? Her thoughts from earlier began to swirl back to the surface of her mind. <em>The mark of the banished prince, cursed to chase the Avatar forever.</em></p><p>The realization felt like a kick to the chest. Zuko’s father burned and banished him, sending him on a hunt for someone thought to be dead for a hundred years. What could he have <em>possibly</em> done to deserve that?</p><p>She couldn’t take it anymore. “But <em>why? </em>How could—how could he—how could <em>you—</em>?” She gestured desperately toward him, and she knew by the resignation in his expression that he had understood the meaning of her jumbled words.</p><p>The silence stretched between them, until Katara added hastily, “You don’t have to tell me.”</p><p>Zuko pinned her with his gaze, and for what felt like several minutes, he seemed to scrutinize her. Katara shifted uncomfortably and made to stand, assuming his silence was her answer.</p><p>“You should get some sleep,” he told her quietly, and when Katara turned to look at him, she could see the unspoken words in his eyes. <em>Not right now. </em></p><p>She made to protest, but something in his drawn expression stopped her. It wasn’t an outright rejection, but he had made it clear that she already knew more than he had ever intended. She was never supposed to learn this about him, let alone in the way she had.</p><p>Katara huffed, accepting the change of subject—partly for herself, to get Zuko’s screams out of her head. She hoped he didn’t notice the shiver rip through her as she made her way back toward the table.</p><p>“I can’t. I’m trying to put together a list of temples to visit. We should be able to get to a good amount of the closer ones tomorrow if we leave first thing. I just have to ask your uncle which ones are more likely to…” She trailed off at the look on Zuko’s face. He was just…<em>staring</em> at her. Again. This time, however, she could see a hint of something like melancholy etched into his features.</p><p>“What?” she asked, apprehension coloring her tone. The screams echoed once again in the back of her mind.</p><p>After a moment’s hesitation, he spoke slowly. “Shouldn’t you be making dinner plans?”</p><p>Katara opened her mouth, then closed it again. It was just about the last thing she had expected him to say. Using her obvious surprise to his advantage, Zuko took a deep breath before he stood to face her.</p><p>“Look, I know how important it is to you that we—that you get out of here. But…I don’t know if that’s going to happen anytime soon. You and I both know it won’t be as simple as standing in some spiritual room and…doing what, exactly?” His voice faltered over the question, betraying a hint of desperation.</p><p>Katara kept her expression carefully blank. “So, you’re saying we should just give up.”</p><p>Zuko chewed his lip. “No… I’m saying that we’re here for a reason. I know you don’t trust me, and I’m not asking you to. I just think you should consider that this is where you’re supposed to be right now.”</p><p>Katara released a sigh. His words were undeniably coated with sincerity, but she knew Zuko’s selfish reasons for saying them. He wanted to investigate what his uncle had told him. Suddenly, Zuko’s father’s occupation didn’t seem so humorous. And the knowledge of his proximity…she wondered with no small amount of alarm if Zuko was so conditioned that he would attempt to seek the man out.</p><p>After everything, she couldn’t find the energy to blame Zuko for any of it. Maybe it <em>was</em> out of pity, or perhaps deep down, she felt just as pessimistic about the prospect of the temples being their ticket home.</p><p>But she couldn’t begin to wrap her head around the notion of…just letting things play out? How could Zuko, after <em>he</em> was the one who told her that Azula had set a trap for her friends, expect her not to do the most in her power to get back to warn them?</p><p>Katara didn’t want to admit to herself the next thought that crossed her mind but found herself thinking it anyway. Was it egotistical to wonder if they would even go through with the invasion without her? It wouldn’t be the first time Aang had put Katara before his duties as the Avatar.</p><p>She hadn’t realized Zuko was waiting for her to say something until he cleared his throat and spoke again. “Katara, you have to believe me when I tell you that you will regret it if you don’t see your mother.”</p><p>“You don’t know that,” she muttered, though part of her knew that he was right. The other, larger part of her, was terrified.</p><p>“I do. If there is one thing I’m an expert in, it’s regret.” His gaze dropped to the floor, and though his hair covered his expression, Katara could hear that same pain laced in his voice that she had heard when he spoke about his uncle.</p><p>Katara and Zuko felt it at the same time. They both turned toward the window to see that the sky had begun to lighten in a telltale sign of approaching dawn. The pull of the moon faded away. And that was when she knew there was no point in debating herself any longer. Assuming she would be back in her own reality by the end of the day was simply denial.</p><p>Steeling herself, she turned back to the firebender. “Do you think your uncle could help me get a dinner reservation?”</p><p>Though Katara might have imagined it, she thought she saw him fight a small smile.</p><p>As it turned out, Iroh was more than capable of procuring her a dinner reservation for that evening. He had been delighted when Katara called him later that morning and assured her that it wouldn’t be any problem. “I just have to make a quick phone call. A friend of mine owes me a favor. I hope you like pasta!”</p><p>She hadn’t had the faintest idea what that meant but wasn’t about to look a gift buffalo yak in the mouth.</p><p>After Zuko had bid her a subdued farewell and left for his shift at the tea shop, Sokka called.</p><p>“So, Mom and Dad are kind of on their way, and I don’t mean to rush you but—”</p><p>“Oh! Right, sorry. I didn’t tell you. We have a reservation for 7:30 at…” Katara checked her notes from her conversation with Iroh, “Ill Buko?”</p><p>She was met with silence. “Sokka? Is that okay?”</p><p>“Did you just say ‘il Buco’? How in the <em>hell </em>did you manage to get a reservation there? Even <em>I </em>know about il Buco.”</p><p>“Actually, um, Zuko’s uncle helped me. So, you’re okay with that?” It was impossible to gauge his tone without seeing his face.</p><p>“Are you joking? I’m more than okay with it! Why don’t you invoke Zuko’s familial connections more often?”</p><p>Katara inhaled shakily at that but stifled the response with a nervous chuckle. <em>Why, indeed?</em></p><p>“Anyway,” continued Sokka, evidently oblivious to his sister’s discomfort, “I’ll relay the message. Dad’s going to be over the moon. Let’s meet at your place after work, and we can head over there together.”</p><p>Katara once again caught herself nodding to the empty room before she quickly replied, “Sounds good. See you tonight.”</p><p>With that, she was alone with her thoughts and the crushing gravity of what she was about to do. She sank down onto the edge of the bed. In a few hours, she would see her mother again.</p><p>Unbidden, wisps of black snow pervaded her memories. The sound of her father’s thundering footsteps as he sprinted ahead of her, pulling aside the curtain at their hut’s entrance. The smell of burning flesh…</p><p>Another wave of nausea sent a shiver through Katara’s entire body. However, this time, the knots in her gut only tightened the longer she attempted to wait it out, and she knew she had reached her tipping point. She made it to the washroom just in time to empty the contents of her stomach. She spent several minutes curled up on the cold tiles, focusing all of her mental effort on controlling her breathing and quelling the sudden dizziness.</p><p>When it felt safe to rise, she did so slowly, gripping the edges of the water basin for support. Her head still spun slightly with the effort, but her vision cleared once she was standing upright.</p><p>The reflection in the mirror had seen better days. Her skin was sallow, eyes red-rimmed and shadowed underneath. She was in desperate need of a change of clothes.</p><p>Katara stared at her for a long time. Could she pretend to be this person? Suppress the memories of her own past to keep up a facade for this indulgent fantasy? <em>Is it worth it? </em></p><p>A voice that did not belong to her whispered, <em>Of course it is.</em></p><p>Sweeping the sweat-dampened hair out of her face, Katara exhaled and turned away from the mirror to set to work on rectifying her appearance. She deliberately prolonged the process, taking time to explore the vast array of beauty products that littered the washroom. It was a welcome distraction. By the time she had returned to the front room and changed into a dress that was as close as possible to Water Tribe blue, Katara was satisfied to find that she had successfully killed a few hours.</p><p>The lack of sleep was beginning to catch up to her. She gingerly stretched herself onto the mattress, careful not to wrinkle the dress. <em>Maybe if I rest my eyes for just a few minutes…</em></p><p>Katara jolted awake when the front door opened, relaxing only slightly when Zuko stepped inside. Evidently, she had done more than rest her eyes.</p><p>“Hi.” The word became a yawn as she said it.</p><p>“Hello,” he said, before taking in her appearance. “… You’re wearing makeup.” It wasn’t a question.</p><p>Katara felt her brows pull down. “Um…yes.”</p><p>It looked like he wanted to say something else but thought better of it as he averted his eyes. Katara watched him set his black bag on the floor near the futon—she hadn’t noticed he had started carrying it with him—and remove his shoes to place them neatly on the small rack by the front door.</p><p>“My uncle says that you’re in for a treat tonight,” he ground out with forced enthusiasm, moving to perch on the futon’s edge. He looked exhausted.</p><p>“It was very kind of him to help me.”</p><p>Zuko sighed and offered her a tiny smile. “That’s Uncle…how are you feeling?”</p><p>Katara could only manage a shrug, her nerves beginning to get the better of her. If Zuko was home, that meant it wouldn’t be long before Sokka would come to pick her up.</p><p>He nodded solemnly, and an unspoken understanding seemed to pass between them as they lapsed into silence.</p><p>Katara wasn’t sure how much time had passed when Zuko gathered a change of clothes and strode into the washroom. It occurred to her then just how little privacy they had available to them in the tiny apartment. Sure, her home at the Southern Water Tribe had been roughly the same size, but Zuko hadn’t been one of its occupants, and there were more options of company to keep. She lay back and listened through the thin walls to the sound of running water, and Zuko’s contented sigh as he stepped under its caress.</p><p>Was this going to be Katara’s life for the foreseeable future? She found herself scanning the cluttered room, eyeing the stack of clothes heaped at the foot of the bed with a frown. It would take the better part of an afternoon to wash all of those in their small tub. Her gaze moved to the growing pile of dishes in the kitchen basin, and an image invaded her thoughts: Katara washing the dishes with her waterbending while the prince of the Fire Nation stood next to her, blowing on them with hot air to dry. She imagined him getting overzealous with the heat and her own chastising words about damaging the plates’ glazing. A humorless laugh escaped her lips. Was she doomed forever to play House with Zuko?</p><p>The water shut off in the other room, and Katara half-listened to the firebender’s shuffling movements. Absently, she released a vaporous breath and froze it into delicate ice crystals, twirling them around her fingers.</p><p>Domesticity aside, she knew she could speak for both Zuko and herself in expressing her disinterest in the forced familiarity that the two had already begun to experience. Zuko was her <em>enemy</em>. There was never supposed to be so much gray area on that front. But Katara was quickly learning that it was impossible to avoid each other—in every sense—in such close quarters. If there would be no more nightmares and no more confrontations, other inevitabilities were sure to come.</p><p>With a wave of Katara’s hand, the ice crystals became sharp points. She flicked her wrist, and they flew like tiny daggers toward the wall, only to stop just before making contact and melt away with another subtle hand movement from the waterbender.</p><p>She let her hand drop when the washroom door creaked open, filling the apartment with a plume of steam. Zuko emerged from it, carding a hand through his dripping hair. He surveyed the room briefly before settling once again on the futon with a defeated grunt.</p><p>Katara had been about to make a retort about their accommodations being beneath his princely station when a knock sounded at the front door. Before she could move, Zuko abruptly stood to open it.</p><p>“Sokka, what’s up, man?” he exclaimed, moving aside so that the ganglier man could step through.</p><p>Sokka made a show of breathlessness as he hunched over and gripped the doorframe. “Oh, you know, the usual. Just relishing in the fact that I don’t live in a walkup.”</p><p>Zuko grasped her brother’s hand before pulling him into a quick one-armed hug. “I don’t know. Seems like you could use the exercise,” he replied with a smirk.</p><p>Sokka slugged him in the shoulder in response, and both men snickered. Thunderstruck, Katara could only gawk at the interaction. <em>Is he…? </em></p><p>She quickly snapped her mouth shut when they turned to her. “Hey, sis. You ready to go?”</p><p>Katara swallowed her astonishment and forced a smile. “Yeah,” she said, standing up as she spoke.</p><p>Behind Sokka, Zuko seemed to come back to himself, his eyes widening as he stared at the other man’s back. The firebender stumbled over to the table and sank slowly into one of the wooden chairs, rubbing his temples as he did so.</p><p>He visibly jerked when Sokka turned to address him again. “What’s with the sweatpants? Aren’t you coming with us?”</p><p>Zuko’s gaze slid over to Katara, and for a moment, he said nothing. He kept his eyes on her when he eventually said, “No.”</p><p>Sokka looked between them, confused. “But, didn’t your uncle get us the reservation?”</p><p>“Yes,” Zuko replied simply, and another lengthy silence followed. Zuko seemed to notice that the siblings were waiting for further explanation, and he continued with a put-upon sigh. “You two should spend time with just your family.”</p><p>“Are you sure? Mom’s expecting you.”</p><p>Katara’s lips started moving before she knew what she was saying. “Mom and Dad will be here all weekend, right? Zuko can tag along on another day.” <em>Shut up, shut up, shut up!</em></p><p>Katara bit down hard on her tongue, and Zuko made no attempt to conceal his bewilderment at her words. His mouth opened and closed again, and some part of Katara’s addled brain wanted to laugh at his resemblance to a fish.</p><p>Sokka paid the sudden tension no mind as he nodded. “Right. That’s a good idea.” He turned to face Katara fully. “Well, we should head out. The F isn’t running, so we have to walk.”</p><p>Katara nodded dumbly and shuffled after her brother toward the door. “Good luck,” Zuko murmured as she passed, too low for Sokka to hear.</p><p>Sokka, it turned out, walked at a pace rather too leisurely for Katara’s liking. The closer they got to the restaurant, the more she could feel the adrenaline shooting through her veins. She couldn’t decide if she wanted to get to their destination faster or turn around and run back the way they came. Her brother’s easy chatter went mostly unheard over the rush of blood in her ears. For a distraction, she tried to focus on her surroundings—on the cracks in the walkway, the rumblings of trains deep underground, the warm breeze hitting her face. But her efforts were fruitless, and they ambled through the crowded streets at Sokka’s infuriating pace for what felt like ages.</p><p>Her brother’s voice broke her from the white noise of her mind. “Looks like we beat them here.”</p><p>She looked up to see a bright green facade with floor-length windows that opened onto a lively patio. The area was sectioned off with planters the color of tropical Fire Nation seas, each overflowing with unfamiliar flora. The words ‘il Buco’ were set into an ivy wall at the top of the building, its vines falling elegantly over the windows and door frames. The restaurant was packed, and a small line formed at the set of double doors leading inside.</p><p>Sokka stepped squarely into her line of sight. “Don’t forget to act surprised when they get here.” Worry flashed in his eyes—evidently, her apprehension on the walk over hadn’t gone unnoticed.</p><p>Katara attempted a reassuring smile, but she was certain it ended up appearing as a lopsided grimace. “Right.”</p><p>The next several minutes were spent in silence, with Katara staring at nothing in particular and Sokka glancing anxiously at passersby as they leaned up against a planter. She had just begun talking herself into making a run for it when Sokka loudly cleared his throat. “Showtime.”</p><p>Katara would have been worried about the sudden return of her nausea except that her stomach was now empty. She screwed her eyes shut, only to snap them open a moment later at the feeling of a light squeeze on her arm.</p><p>She was met with blue eyes, and for a moment, she thought she was back in the apartment, staring at her reflection. Then the reflection smiled warmly, and Katara could see the laugh lines crease her expression, the streaks of silver in her short dark hair which revealed a familiar—but changed—face, no longer a vague image frozen in time.</p><p>Katara flung herself into waiting arms and felt the woman stumble at the impact. She inhaled an unfamiliar floral scent that she knew the moment she did so it would be burned forever in her memory.</p><p>“Mom,” she breathed, and her knees nearly buckled upon her comprehension that she was now taller than the woman in her embrace.</p><p>Kya pet her hair and chuckled. It was the most beautiful sound she had ever heard. “Surprise!”</p><p>…And Katara nearly fell apart at the sound of the voice she hadn’t realized she had forgotten the sound of. She scarcely noticed when her mother released her, only for her to be pulled into a second pair of arms.</p><p>“Hey, kiddo,” rumbled Hakoda. “Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes?” He pulled away to hold her at arm’s length, and his grinning face melted into one of concern. “Sweetheart, what’s wrong?”</p><p>Katara’s tears flowed freely and silently. She would not have noticed them had they not blurred her view of the man in front of her. She scrubbed at her face to clear them away but shortly discovered that her efforts were futile. Her mother’s soothing hand landed on her shoulder, and it took every ounce of strength she had not to crumble completely under its weight.</p><p>She dully registered Sokka’s teasing tone. “Damn, Katara. A few months apart, and you’re a mess!” She sniffled and looked up just in time to see both of her parents shoot him murderous glares. The half-true words were yet another bleak reminder of her situation, and the tiny sob that escaped her was evidence that she was decidedly <em>not</em> keeping up appearances.</p><p>Feeling three pairs of eyes on her, she straightened. “I’m sorry, I just…” How could she possibly find the words? “I just missed you so much.” <em>More than you could ever know. </em></p><p>“Oh, honey.” Kya enveloped her in another hug, squeezing her tighter than the first time. From his place next to her, Hakoda ruffled her hair. “We missed you, too.” And that was when Katara knew that Zuko had been right. She would have never forgiven herself for missing this.</p><p>“Well, I’m starving,” announced Sokka. “Can we go inside now?”</p><p>Kya pulled a small tissue from her bag and gently swiped it under Katara’s eyes. “We’ll have to get you some waterproof mascara.” Something clenched inside Katara’s chest as she offered her mother a tight smile.</p><p>Steeling herself, she turned to lead the way into the restaurant. Sokka caught up to step ahead of her, and Katara remembered that he was supposed to be the one leading. “It was a bit overkill, but nice job on acting surprised,” he whispered.</p><p>Behind them, Hakoda clapped his hands together. “I still can’t believe you managed to get us a table here, son. You’ll have to pass our thanks to Zuko’s uncle.”</p><p>They waited in line for several minutes. Katara was grateful that her parents seemed to notice that she wasn’t yet ready for conversation. She took a few more steadying breaths as they stepped through the double doors.</p><p>The inside of the restaurant was decorated similarly to the outside. The ivy motif extended along every wall but one, which was occupied by shelves of bottles of varying sizes and shapes. In front of the latter wall was a counter lined with strange-looking spouts. Much like the place she had been to with Zuko, Katara noticed an atmosphere of organized chaos in the dining room as waiters flitted from table to table, dodging trays of food. She watched her brother approach a small podium, where a woman received him cheerfully.</p><p>“Hi. We have a 7:30 reservation for Sokka.” He had to yell for her to hear him properly.</p><p>“Sokka…” the woman paused, her face turned downward as she stared intently at something Katara couldn’t see. “I’m sorry. I don’t see your name here.” She gave Sokka an apologetic glance before looking past him at the next group of people waiting to approach the podium. He spluttered indignantly and was about to turn his wrath on Katara when he was interrupted.</p><p>“Ah, Iroh’s guests,” said another voice, and a burly, mustached man rounded a corner to greet them. “Welcome, welcome!” He vigorously shook each of their hands before leading them away from the now-flustered hostess and into the crowded dining area. Sokka raised a brow and glanced at Katara, who merely shrugged in response, still not entirely confident in her ability to speak without dissolving into hysterics. Upon entering the dining area, she understood why it was so difficult to get a reservation at il Buco. She counted only six tables in the room. To her puzzlement, they were all occupied.</p><p>However, the confusion was short-lived because the man led them straight to the back, where he pulled aside a curtain and ushered the group through it. The curtain opened into a small, private room. Unlike the rest of the restaurant, it was sparsely decorated. A polished wooden table on which a large bouquet of yellow flowers had been placed as a centerpiece took up most of the space. At each seat was an elaborate place setting with unfamiliar-looking utensils.</p><p>Hakoda let out a low whistle at the same time that Sokka said, “Wow.” Kya made to sit down, and their host hastily pulled her chair out before doing the same for Katara next to her. Once they were seated, he plucked the folded napkins from the table to rest them across their laps.</p><p>“My name is Luca, and I will be taking care of you this evening.” As he spoke, he moved around the table, hands deftly overturning glasses and pouring water from a pitcher into each one. “We will be providing you with a very special tasting menu with wine pairings. Does anyone have any allergies or dietary restrictions?”</p><p>Katara had no idea what any of that meant, but she followed Sokka’s lead and shook her head. Hakoda shifted in his seat, suddenly looking uncomfortable. “Oh, I’m not sure we can afford—”</p><p>Luca cut him off with a wave of the hand. “It’s on the house. Friends of Iroh’s are friends of ours. I’ll be right back with bread and appetizers.” He was gone before anyone could protest.</p><p>“Holy shit,” said Sokka incredulously.</p><p>His mother narrowed her eyes at him briefly before she nodded her agreement. “We owe Zuko’s uncle a huge debt for this.” She turned her gaze on Katara. “Speaking of which, where is Zuko tonight? I’d hoped you would bring him.”</p><p>Katara swallowed. “Oh, um—”</p><p>Sokka interrupted her. “He wanted us to get in some family bonding time.”</p><p>Kya grinned, her focus remaining on Katara. “That’s very considerate of him. I do want to see him, though, so make sure to invite him along this weekend if he isn’t busy. We have to thank him and his uncle properly for this meal!” Her voice had taken on a tone of mock severity. Katara felt her head bob up and down, deciding then that she would do just about anything for the woman next to her.</p><p>Luca returned with a covered basket, which Sokka and Hakoda dug into the moment he set it down. It was filled with various types of sliced bread and rolls. He then held up a bottle of what Katara assumed was wine—though it looked nothing like any wine she had ever seen. He poured a small amount of the dark red liquid into Kya’s glass, prompting her to try it. Once she nodded her approval, Luca poured more into her glass and filled the rest of the glasses. Katara immediately took a sip of hers in the hope that the drink would calm her nerves. She didn’t expect the bitter taste and nearly choked on it, prompting an amused snicker from Sokka.</p><p>Two more servers filed into the room, balancing a large platter of various offerings between them. Once it was placed in the center of the table, Luca explained each type of dish that made up the sampler. None of it sounded familiar to Katara. Despite her growling stomach, she didn’t feel much like eating, but it felt wasteful not to indulge.</p><p>She grabbed one portion of each dish and had been about to take her first bite when her father spoke. “So tell us about the big job, Katara! Trying to get details out of you over the phone is like pulling teeth.”</p><p>Katara met Hakoda’s gaze, and for the first time that evening, took a moment to really look at him. To her surprise, he looked almost exactly as he had when she last saw him three years ago, even though he was more than a decade older. This version of her father was clean-shaven, though he kept his hair in the same style as the one she knew—minus the hair beads, she noted with slight disappointment. Katara felt her face heat when she realized she had been staring at him without answering his question. His eyes twinkled with amusement.</p><p>“It’s, um, going well.” She took a swig of wine and wracked her brain for any kind of notable detail from the single day she had gone to work. “I like my coworkers?” she added lamely. Her voice sounded small to her ears.</p><p>“Oh, <em>please</em>. Katara is just being modest. She’s crushing it. Five months in, and she’s already in talks to get a promotion,” said Sokka proudly. Guilt squeezed her insides. That might not still be the case after she had neglected to show up for a week.</p><p>“That’s fantastic news, sweetheart!” said Kya, her voice muffled by a bread roll.</p><p>Hakoda shook his head slowly, beaming. “First, you graduate top of your class, and now you’re getting promoted less than a year into your first post-college job.”</p><p>“We’re so proud of you,” her mother added, squeezing Katara’s hand.</p><p>Katara took a shaky breath, her gaze dropping to the table. It was too much—just one glaring reminder after another that these were the <em>other </em>Katara’s parents and the <em>other </em>Katara’s accomplishments. She was a master waterbender of the Southern Water Tribe, helping the Avatar save the world. But they could never know this about her. Tears pricked once again at the corners of her eyes, but they went unnoticed as Luca arrived with the second course and a second bottle of wine.</p><p>As the meal went on, Katara’s mood improved. Whether that could be attributed to the steady flow of wine or the delicious food, she wasn’t sure. She mostly just listened as Sokka told her parents the crazy stories from his architectural drafting job. It sounded like his boss was a demanding sort. More often than not, Katara’s eyes were trained on her mother. She did her best to memorize her facial expressions and the sound of her laughter. Questions directed at Katara became more answerable with every sip of her drink. By the time dessert arrived, her vision was rather out of focus.</p><p>Sokka groaned. “I could eat that seafood linguine every day for the rest of my life.”</p><p>Hakoda laughed heartily and patted his stomach. “I feel the same about the veal piccata.” Katara had not paid attention to the dishes’ names, but she wouldn’t have minded eating anything off that menu for the rest of her life.</p><p>Kya rolled her eyes and shot Katara a look before picking up one of the small, cream-filled pastries on the dessert platter. She examined it for a moment before dropping it back onto the platter with a sigh. “Too full. Can’t do it.”</p><p>Sokka flung his hands up indignantly. “That’s not the right attitude. Where’s your second stomach?”</p><p>“Second stomach?” Katara asked, her words slurring slightly.</p><p>“You know, you have your dinner stomach and your dessert stomach. Your second stomach!”</p><p>For a brief moment, Katara wondered if that was another strange revelation about this reality—that everyone had two stomachs. But Hakoda laughed and shook his head. “I think that’s just you, son.”</p><p>Too soon, Katara found herself standing—albeit a bit wobbly—as she followed Sokka out of the restaurant. The four of them thanked Luca profusely before stumbling out into the street and saying their goodbyes.</p><p>She was pulled into another of her mother’s tight embraces. “Come by our hotel tomorrow when you’re done with work, okay?”</p><p>Katara nodded into her hair. “I love you.”</p><p>When she reluctantly pulled away, Hakoda placed his hands on her shoulders and pressed a light kiss to her forehead. “Love you, kid. See you tomorrow.”</p><p>Once Sokka had given them each a hug, they turned in the opposite direction of where Katara needed to go. She watched their retreating backs until she could no longer see them.</p><p>Her brother looked up at her from his phone. “Hey, I’m going to meet up with some friends at a bar near here. Do you want to join?”</p><p>She could already feel herself sobering up, and the night’s emotions were beginning to gain on her. “No, thanks. I think I’ll just head straight home.”</p><p>He pursed his lips. “Okay, if you’re sure. But at least let me call you a rideshare or something. I don’t want you to walk back alone at night.”</p><p>“Sure, Sokka,” Katara said dismissively, too exhausted to ask what a rideshare was.</p><p>She watched him tap away at his phone until he looked up at her. “Two minutes.” <em>Two minutes until what?</em></p><p>Katara had her answer shortly when one of the death machines rolled to a stop in front of them. Her eyes widened. <em>He expects me to get </em>inside<em> one of those?</em></p><p>The answer to her second question became clear when Sokka opened the door for her. She turned a panicked look to her brother, but he was once again focused on his phone. With a gulp, she slid into the black leather interior of the machine. A man cast in shadow sat in front of her, his hands gripping some kind of wheel. “Sokka?” he asked.</p><p>“Yeah,” her brother answered from outside. “Text me when you get home.” She nodded.</p><p>“By the way, thanks for putting this all together. It was so much more than I could have asked for.” She could hear the smile in his voice.</p><p>“It was all Iroh,” she mumbled.</p><p>“It was you, too. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He shut the door, and she was alone with the strange man. She bit back a yelp when the machine started moving and gripped the seat for dear life.</p><p>“Ma’am, can you please put on your seatbelt?”</p><p>“Uh…” Katara fumbled with the strap that she prayed was the seatbelt, tugging it over herself and putting it through a slot on her other side. When she felt eyes on her, she looked up and started at the sight of the man’s face, visible through a small mirror at the front of the machine, staring at her strangely. He looked away quickly when she caught him, and they rode in silence.</p><p>Katara spent several minutes trying to decipher the various buttons and dials at the front of the machine before eventually giving up to watch the scenery race by out the window. She supposed these death machines weren’t so bad from the inside. If anything, it was a perfect diversionary activity while she delayed the inevitable thoughts about her evening with Mom.</p><p>The man had to stop several times to let other, faster machines pass. They flew by in a blur of blinking lights and blaring noises. After the fourth stop, she heard him mutter, “What the hell is going on over here?”</p><p>It seemed that the closer they got to their destination, the more lights and horns appeared. Eventually, they could move no further. All of the blinking machines had stopped in the middle of the road, creating some kind of blockade.</p><p>“This is as close as I can get. Do you want me to let you out here or try to go around?”</p><p>Katara was already opening the door. “Here is fine. Thank you.”</p><p>“Sure. Have a good night.” As soon as the door was closed again, the machine took off down the street and out of sight.</p><p>It was when Katara began walking in the direction of the blockade—the direction of the apartment—that she realized something was wrong. The air was becoming thicker as she walked further, but not with the humidity she was just beginning to get used to. At first, her throat itched with only a vague discomfort. It gradually worsened until each breath felt as if she was being scorched from within. Before long, she began to cough violently, clutching at her chest. Her eyes watered, and she had to squint to see through the rapidly-solidifying haze of smoke. Its familiar smell burned in her nostrils.</p><p>The cold dread set in when Katara reached the source of the smoke. A woman wearing some kind of protective gear approached her. Over the cacophony of people shouting, she could hardly hear her say, “What are you doing here? Get back!”</p><p>Katara ignored her and stared unseeingly at her and Zuko’s apartment building, now engulfed in flames. The shouting voices suddenly sounded far away, and Katara didn’t immediately register the set of hands that forcefully pulled her backward.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>It was about time to give Katara a whole chapter. :)</p><p>I know that was another big delay between updates. I should be getting back to a more regular update schedule now that real life has slowed down a bit. I hope you're sticking with me and that this whopper of a chapter made up for it! </p><p>All of your comments and kudos are such wonderful mood boosters - keep them coming, please! The continued support of this little story means the world to me.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA or LoK.</p><p>CW: injury</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“What are you doing here? Get back!” shouted a voice much louder than the rest, breaking through Zuko’s numb thoughts.</p><p>He felt his head swivel toward it in slow motion, vaguely aware of unfamiliar hands poking and prodding at his skin—the medics had been persistent despite his feeble attempts to fight them off. Everything came sharply back into focus, however, when his gaze found the voice’s target.</p><p>Suddenly, he was on his feet.</p><p>“Sir, we need you to sit down. Sir!”</p><p>Zuko tuned out the protests from both the medics and his exhausted muscles. More voices called after him as he weaved through crowds of onlookers in a dead sprint toward the blue-clad figure staring transfixed at the blaze. He ducked around uniformed bodies, nearly losing his footing for his efforts.</p><p>His hands were on her shoulders and <em>yanking </em>before his mind could catch up to his actions. Katara staggered backward, landing heavily against his chest.</p><p>He felt, more than heard, her sharp intake of breath. “Zuk—” she dissolved into a hollow coughing fit, and Zuko found himself holding her upright, arms wrapped securely around her middle while her body jerked under his hold. The friction caused by her movements made it increasingly difficult to ignore the ghost of flames still licking at his limbs.</p><p>The voice from earlier reached his ears from somewhere nearby. “It’s not safe for you to stand th—young man, you need to get to a hospital!”</p><p>Disregarding that, he whirled Katara around and began to steer her away from the fray. “We have to move.”</p><p>“Zuko—” More coughing. More friction. It took every ounce of Zuko’s strength not to snatch his hands away. His eyes watered as he swallowed back his own coughing fit. The smoke was thickening.</p><p>“Zuko, let go of me,” Katara rasped.</p><p>He winced but tightened his grip. “No.”</p><p>“But, I can help!” She struggled into a bending stance. Off to the left, a stream of water burst forth from an unknown source. Zuko couldn’t tell whether or not it was her doing.</p><p>“No, you <em>can’t.” </em>He removed one of his arms from her waist to take both of her wrists in his hand, pinning them behind her back and ignoring her indignant grunt. He peered anxiously at the nearest bystanders. None seemed to pay the two benders any mind, but through the smoke, Zuko could make out the concerned face of one of the medics who had treated him earlier watching them closely. He whispered something to his colleague, who turned abruptly and locked eyes with Zuko.</p><p>A sharp ‘<em>crack’ </em>split through the air, and suddenly all attention turned toward the fire. The building’s foundation began to rupture, ensuing utter chaos around them. More panicked cries rang out, and debris crashed to the street. Katara worked ferociously to pull her wrists free, but it wasn’t long before she was once again choking on smoke.</p><p>Zuko pressed his face into her hair, his voice dropping to an urgent hiss. “Katara, you can’t let them see your bending.”</p><p>She must have picked up on the desperation in his tone because she had gone abruptly still at his words. Around them, blasts of water that were decidedly not Katara’s hit the building relentlessly. But even as the orange glow faded and the black haze around them lightened to gray, it was clear that help had come too late.</p><p>“There’s nothing you can do,” he said with more volume.</p><p>He couldn’t see her face—her gaze was still fixed on the crumbling remnants of their temporary home—but after a moment, she nodded stiffly.</p><p>Zuko tentatively released one of Katara’s hands and tugged the other in the direction of <em>away—anywhere but here.</em> She didn’t resist.</p><p>They ran until the smell of smoke was only memory, and then some. Zuko had no idea where they were going—Katara had long since overtaken him once she had inhaled cleaner air. But while Katara seemed to hold endless stores of energy, Zuko’s adrenaline was quickly fading. His skin prickled and stretched uncomfortably with every stride. It wasn’t until he finally stumbled, his hand slipping from hers, that Katara skidded to a stop and whipped around to face him.</p><p>The thunderstorm in her blue eyes had him bracing for the inevitable barrage of questions. But it never came, because the storm gave way to alarm, and she was pulling water from thin air and kneeling at his side and <em>how did she do that?</em> <em>When did I end up on the ground?</em></p><p>Katara wreathed her hands with the liquid without preamble, brows furrowed in concentration as she placed them against the side of Zuko’s exposed thigh. He had no time to think about how much more of his clothing had been burned away before the phantom flames he had felt earlier became very real. He inhaled sharply through his teeth, the all-too-familiar hot knives dragging themselves across his skin at an agonizing pace.</p><p>“It’s not as bad as it looks,” Katara said, her voice low and soothing. But Zuko didn’t look. He didn’t want to see. Instead, he focused on the long curtain of her hair as she bent over her work. Between the dark strands, he could see that her eyes were rimmed with red, smudges of black makeup staining the skin around them. A slight flush dusting her cheeks was the only indication that she had exerted herself during their escape. She was lit with the same celestial glow he had seen the first time she healed him in the Spirit World.</p><p>He wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but he was certain Katara had not been finished when the water suddenly splashed back onto his leg with an unpleasant slap. She cursed under her breath and glanced at a point over Zuko’s shoulder. His unspoken question was answered by the sounds of footsteps and conversation from somewhere behind him.</p><p>Zuko—with the grace of a newborn dragon moose—got to his feet. “You were doing that in the middle of the street?” The acidity in his tone was diluted by his short-windedness.</p><p>Katara shot him an icy glare before rolling her eyes. “You didn’t exactly give me a choice.”</p><p>The two men paid them no mind as they strolled passed, engrossed in a conversation about tattoos.</p><p>Katara watched them walk away for a moment before she hesitantly tucked herself against Zuko’s side, gently taking his arm to sling it over her shoulder. He was suddenly hyperaware of how heavy his body felt, and he <em>detested</em> himself for it.</p><p>“Let’s get to your uncle’s.”</p><p>It was slow going. The small patch of Zuko’s leg that Katara had managed to heal wasn’t enough to keep him upright. To his utter mortification, she practically carried him to Uncle’s apartment.</p><p>Katara was silent other than the occasional cough. Still, he could feel the tension radiating from her as she shifted uncomfortably under his weight.</p><p>Zuko couldn’t take it anymore. “I know what you’re thinking.” The words came out in a breathy wheeze, making him want to slam his head against the pavement. In his peripherals, Zuko could see her head turn toward him, but he kept his eyes pointedly ahead. She said nothing, which he took as confirmation of his words.</p><p>“You should know that I didn’t start the fire.”</p><p>Katara was once again facing forward. “Should I? It doesn’t really matter.”</p><p>It was Zuko’s turn to look over at her. “It doesn’t matter?” he asked incredulously.</p><p>She huffed but didn’t meet his gaze. “I don’t care whose fault it was. What’s done is done.”</p><p>“Well, it wasn’t me.”</p><p>“Okay.”</p><p>Neither spoke again for the remainder of their walk. Part of Zuko wanted to tell her more—that he did the best he could. That earlier, he told her from experience that there was nothing she could have done to help. But that would mean admitting failure.</p><p>There were a lot of things he wanted to say, but Zuko had never been good with words.</p><p>He knew the tides had shifted the moment he was pulled away from the worst ten seconds of his life by Katara’s firm hands.</p><p>Of course, the last thing he had wanted to do was lay bare for her his greatest shame, let alone to weep like a child about it. Not that the details of his banishment were a secret—but he hadn’t minded the advantage of Katara’s sheltered South Pole upbringing.</p><p><em>It’s like she said, </em>he thought bitterly. <em>What’s done is done.</em></p><p>But mere hours ago, he had been ready to embrace the change. He had waited up for her. He had <em>wanted</em> to.</p><p>And then there was that damned smell.</p><p>There were a lot of things he wanted to say, but he knew now that whatever fragile understanding that had formed between them had, quite literally, exploded in his face. How could he expect her to believe that he didn’t light that building on fire to keep her trapped in this place?</p><p>A tiny voice in the back of his mind that sounded suspiciously like his uncle told him that she hadn’t left him yet. Her cool body pressed against his—supporting most of his weight—was the physical reminder. He silently reprimanded the voice for allowing him to hope.</p><p>It wasn’t until they were on the doorstep to Uncle’s apartment building that they realized he probably wouldn’t be awake to let them in.</p><p>Zuko rested against the side of the building—he was so, <em>so </em>tired—and looked on in fascination when Katara had her phone pressed to her ear with lightning speed. Even with Uncle’s help, Zuko couldn’t hope to figure things out as quickly as she did.</p><p>“Hi, Iroh. I’m so sorry to wake you, but we’re outside. Can you let us in?”</p><p>Zuko could faintly make out a garbled response before the phone was back in Katara’s bag as quickly as she had removed it.</p><p>Her eyes narrowed in Zuko’s direction. “What?”</p><p>He had been staring. <em>Oops.</em> “Nothing. I just—how do you do that?”</p><p>She tilted her head quizzically. “Do what?”</p><p>The door flew open before he could respond. “What a pleasant surprise!” Uncle gave Katara a smile bright enough for Zuko to wonder if he had not actually been asleep when she called. But then his eyes panned to his bedraggled nephew slumped against the wall and widened in horror.</p><p>Katara interrupted whatever he had been about to say. “Can you help me get him upstairs?”</p><hr/><p>No one spoke until they were safely inside Iroh’s apartment. The man himself had taken up a position opposite Katara under Zuko’s other arm. They managed to hoist the firebender up the three flights of stairs with relative ease between the two of them. Zuko, for his part, didn’t complain. Though by the way his feet dragged, Katara wasn’t sure that was by choice.</p><p>Katara briefly explained that there had been a fire and that Zuko had been burned. Iroh started to lead them toward the living area. “Let’s put you on the couch. I think I have a first aid kit here somewhere.” Zuko groaned. Katara shook her head, though Iroh was far too focused on his nephew to notice.</p><p>“Actually, do you have a tub we can put him in?”</p><p>He paused and gave her a questioning look, but then Zuko mumbled, “Waterbender.”</p><p>Iroh regarded Katara as if seeing her for the first time. He gestured vaguely at her person. “You can…?” She gave him a small smile and nodded in affirmation.</p><p>For a moment, he stared at her, mouth agape. Then he squeezed her hand where it met his behind Zuko’s back. “What an extraordinary young woman you are!”</p><p>Without further prompting, he carefully extricated himself from his nephew. He bustled down a small hallway that led to a door—likely the washroom. Katara felt her face heat and pointedly ignored Zuko when she felt his gaze land on her.</p><p>She readjusted his arm over her shoulders to allow for more of his weight, disregarding his grumbled protests. This close to him, an odd minty scent reached her nose. It was not a smell she would have associated with the injuries Zuko was currently sporting, but it was a welcome alternative to the more familiar burn smell.</p><p>They followed after Iroh to the washroom to find that he was already filling the tub with water. Katara noted with satisfaction that the tub was larger than the one that had been in their apartment. More water meant a quicker healing process.</p><p>“Would you like it hot or cold?”</p><p>Despite her confusion—<em>how can he heat the water without firebending?—</em>Katara answered “cold,” at the same time that Zuko said “hot.”</p><p>She glowered at him, then turned back to Iroh with a serene smile. “Cold, please. It’s better for the healing process.”</p><p>Once he had assurance from Katara that Zuko would be fine, Iroh made himself scarce. He left a spare set of clothes for each of them and promised tea for whenever they were finished. Katara thanked him warmly, and Zuko gave him a weak nod.</p><p>When they were alone, Katara helped Zuko lower himself to the floor, propping him against the door. She worked him out of his soot-covered shoes and paused to steel herself before slipping into the role of Professional Healer. “Okay. The hardest part will be this first part.”</p><p>He sighed, and Katara had a feeling he knew what she was going to say before she said it.</p><p>“We have to, um, get these off.” She gestured to his ruined tunic and pants, on which singed holes revealed raw, shiny skin underneath. Even in her brief examination, Katara could see that the fabric had stuck to his wounds in some places.</p><p>He grunted his acknowledgment, already lifting his hips and beginning to tug at his waistband. More burns spanned the tops of his hands and forearms. Katara resisted the urge to push them away. This was still Zuko, after all, and she wouldn’t stop him if he insisted on disrobing himself.</p><p>While Zuko worked on his pants, Katara shifted her attention to where someone had already cut away some of the fabric from his sleeves. The burns on his shoulders weren’t as severe, and she realized the minty smell came from some kind of ointment that had been slathered across them. She made quick work of the rest of the shirt, pinching it at the seams near his collar and tearing. Her fingers lightly brushed against Zuko’s neck, and he sucked in a breath at the contact. Katara’s hands stilled as she checked his expression for signs of pain. He would have passed as unfazed if not for the angry scarlet blush spreading across his face. He wouldn’t meet Katara’s inquisitive gaze.</p><p>“Are you okay?”</p><p>His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed audibly. He still didn’t look at her. “Yes.”</p><p>Katara thought he might have been lying, but from what she could tell, she hadn’t yet touched any of the more sensitive injuries on his torso. With a small shrug, she continued pulling the shirt away from his chest, careful to move slowly. She didn’t run into any snags until she reached the area around his navel. It was there that most of the fabric covering the left side extending out to the bottom of his ribcage was completely plastered to the skin underneath.</p><p>As if to punctuate her concern, Zuko’s breath hissed through his teeth. Katara’s head snapped to the lower half of his body. He was running into a similar problem at the bottom of the leg she had half-healed.</p><p>“Just do it, quick,” he gritted out.</p><p>“Are you sure? I think it might be better to…”</p><p>She trailed off when he took in a gulp of air, held it, then ripped the rest of his pant leg away from the wound underneath. He released the breath in a huff, and Katara recoiled when she saw that the movement had taken a layer of skin with it.</p><p>“Zuko! You can’t do it like that!” And more to herself, she mumbled, “You’d think a <em>firebender</em> might know a bit more about burn care.” She slid down to his legs to examine the wound. Yes, he had definitely made it worse.</p><p>He glowered at her down his nose. “Maybe people like <em>you</em> have this problem. Fire Nation fabrics aren’t so low in quality that they’d get stuck to burns.” If he was trying to be offensive, his pained croak ruined the effect.</p><p>“How unfortunate for you, then, Your Highness, that you’ve been forced to wear rags. But sorry, I’m not going to just rip your skin off.”</p><p>Zuko had pressed his lips together in a hard line. Katara took his silence as permission to do it her way.</p><p>She bent a small globe of water from the tub and formed it into a disc. Tentatively, she lifted the edge of his tunic with one hand and wedged the water disc underneath it with the other. Using the disc as a buffer, she slowly peeled the material away from his skin, moving the water as she went. It successfully provided a barrier between the injury and the fabric. Before long, she was tossing the shirt aside with a smirk.</p><p>There was no response from the prince.</p><p>Katara sat back to do another brief scan of his body. His breathing had become shallow, and his eyes were screwed shut. He was undoubtedly in a lot of pain, given the sheer number of burns that peppered his skin. However, Katara was still reasonably confident that it would be an easy healing session. She’d seen worse burns—well, on Zuko himself.</p><p>“Come on. Let’s get you in the bath.”</p><p>Zuko seemed determined to stand without her help, but he ended up mostly crawling and mumbling the whole way about being treated like a child. He didn’t see Katara roll her eyes behind him.</p><p>After he inevitably—if reluctantly—accepted her assistance, Katara guided him by his elbows into the cool water. She gingerly hooked her arms under his to lower him in, and <em>why did you want to do this in hot water when your skin is already this warm?</em></p><p>He gasped in pain and fell roughly against the end of the tub with a splash when his left side’s particularly grisly wounds became submerged. Katara took a moment to wonder why that side was so much worse. Besides his arms, shoulders, and the odd bruising on his back, his right side was mostly unscathed.</p><p>She got to work right away, setting the entirety of the tub’s contents aglow to create an all-encompassing healing effect before pinpointing the more severe burns. She would never say it aloud, but she was enjoying this a bit. It was, after all, a great opportunity to hone her skills.</p><p>Zuko relaxed almost immediately, his breathing becoming more even as time passed. As she suspected, it was a simple process. <em>And no scarring.</em></p><p>Leaning over him as she was, it occurred to Katara for the first time that Zuko was exposed entirely, save for the undershorts—which they’d had an unspoken agreement to leave in place. Her eyes roved over the hard planes of his pale skin. This was most certainly <em>not</em> the sixteen-year-old body that had looked rather malnourished under the Crystal Catacombs.</p><p>Clearing her throat, she attempted with middling success to shift back into her Professional Healer persona. His eyes were closed, but she doubted he would appreciate her ogling. Yes, it wasn’t the first time she had seen Zuko this way since getting stuck here with him, but she hadn’t been this <em>close. </em></p><p>Well, maybe it wasn’t a crime to appreciate the view.</p><p>Zuko was asleep by the time she was finished. Katara couldn’t help but chuckle softly when she heard the tiny snores escape his parted lips. He looked utterly at peace, especially in comparison to how he had the night before.</p><p>Deciding not to wake him, Katara drained the tub, grabbed her change of clothes and shuffled down the hall to where Iroh sat waiting at the small kitchen table. He stood the moment she emerged, eyes expectant.</p><p>“He’s okay. He’s asleep now.”</p><p>Without warning, Iroh surged forward, tugging her into a bone-crushing hug. “Thank you so much, Katara.”</p><p>Katara pulled back first and smiled. “It really wasn’t as bad as it looked.”</p><p>He shook his head. “He would be much worse off without you.”</p><p>She didn’t know how to respond to that. Instead, she held up the clothes he had given her and asked, “Is there somewhere I can change?”</p><p>Iroh glanced toward the washroom, brows knit together briefly before realization crossed his features. “Ah, right. Feel free to use my bedroom.” He turned to busy himself with the tea kettle. She thanked him, grabbing her bag off the table before making her way to the open door leading from the living area and closing it gently behind her.</p><p>The bedroom was simple; most of the space was taken up by the bed itself. Its bedding was white and neatly made. In the far corner next to the window were a chair and a small bookshelf. Katara smiled at the sight of Mushi curled up on the chair, fast asleep.</p><p>Despite her desperate need to bathe, Katara quickly changed into what she now realized were women’s sleep clothes. She briefly wondered why Iroh would have such things in his possession, but her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of her phone buzzing. It was her coworker, Meili.</p><p>“Hello?”</p><p>“Katara! I’ve called you a million times. Are you okay? Are you hurt?”</p><p><em>How does she know? </em>“Uh, how do you know—”</p><p>“I heard this really weird sound from somewhere outside. Then my Citizen app told me there was an explosion. I checked it, and it was your address! Is—did your apartment just fucking <em>explode</em>?”</p><p>Katara recalled when Meili had gotten on the train with her. She must have lived nearby. Though the bit about the Citizen app was a mystery. And, <em>explosion?</em> “I’m not actually sure what happened. I wasn’t home.”</p><p>There was silence on the other end for a moment. Then Meili said in a much smaller voice, “Was Zuko home?”</p><p>“Oh. Yeah, he was. But he’s okay.”</p><p>Katara heard an audible sigh from the other girl. “Do you need somewhere to stay? You have renters insurance, right?”</p><p>Do<em> we need somewhere to stay? …Renters insurance? </em></p><p>“We’re still sort of figuring things out right now. I’ll, uh, let you know? Thanks for the offer.” She meant that sincerely. Katara was glad that the other version of her had a friend like Meili.</p><p>“Of course! And, by the way, don’t forget that you can tell me anything. It sounds like you’re dealing with some things right now, and I just want you to know that I’m here for you.”</p><p>Yes, she was definitely glad for Other Katara. “I appreciate that.” Oh. She nearly forgot. “Oh, Meili? I think I’m going to need to take more time off work…”</p><p>“Ah, yeah. I figured. I would tell you that you’re already pushing it under normal circumstances, but I think these count as extenuating. I’ll let Wei An know for you.”</p><p>“Thank you so much for doing that.” Katara couldn’t imagine trying to sort all of this out on her own.</p><p>“It’s the least I can do. And, hey, just a heads up. The company might not allow you to have PTO after a certain point. Depending on how long you’re gone, you might have to take a leave of absence.”</p><p>“Um, I understand.” She didn’t.</p><p>“Okay. Listen, if you need anything at all, <em>call me.</em>”</p><p>“I will.”</p><p>They exchanged goodbyes and ended the call. When Katara looked at the phone again, she saw several messages and more missed calls. All were from Sokka.</p><p>
  <em>‘Did you make it home?’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Hellooooo’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘Earth to Katara’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘I just called Zuko and it went straight to voicemail. Don’t make me come over there’</em>
</p><p>
  <em>‘If you don’t call or text me in the next 5 minutes I’m calling Mom’</em>
</p><p>The last message was from three minutes ago. She frantically wrote a response. Katara was still recovering from the first interaction with her mom.</p><p>
  <em>‘Sorry just seeing these I am fine’</em>
</p><p>Almost immediately, he sent her back a small image of a thumbs up. Katara breathed a sigh of relief. She wasn’t ready to ruin the evening she’d had with her family.</p><p>Mushi, awoken by her conversation, had started scratching on the door. Katara let him out and made her way to the kitchen table, where Iroh had placed a cup of tea and a small plate of cookies. Zuko was evidently still sleeping in the bathtub.</p><p>Upon her approach, Iroh settled across from her with his own cup of tea. “You both are welcome to stay with me tonight, but I don’t think I’ll be able to accommodate you for much longer than that.”</p><p>Katara nodded. He didn’t need to explain himself. Even if his apartment was bigger than the other one, three people were too many for the limited space. “That’s okay. We’ll figure something out.”</p><p>Iroh looked appalled. “Oh, don’t misunderstand me. I’m not just going to throw you out on the street.” He chuckled. “I’ll arrange another living situation for you. And whatever else you need. I’m here to help.”</p><p>Katara thought about what Meili said about renters insurance and PTO and Citizen apps—logistics that she could never hope to understand. She was suddenly overwhelmed with gratitude for the man in front of her. “Thank you. For everything.” She met the kind gold eyes, so similar to his nephew’s. “The dinner was wonderful.”</p><p>He smiled and pushed the plate of cookies toward her. “Oh, it was no trouble. I’m happy you enjoyed yourself.”</p><p>They sipped their tea in companionable silence for several minutes. The cookies were almond—Toph’s favorite if she remembered correctly.</p><p>Her thoughts drifted. Things had become so much more complicated. Was it right to leave this place without fixing things for Other Katara?</p><p>No, it wasn’t. She knew that.</p><p>Her guilt intensified when she thought about that carefully-organized calendar in her phone—the one she hadn’t looked at since getting stuck here. She’d skipped almost an entire week of work. How much had she missed? Even if this wasn’t real to her, it was to someone.</p><p>Selfishly, she reminded herself that staying to smooth things over for Other Katara would give her more time with her mom.</p><p>She had just started to wonder if Zuko managed to recover any possessions amongst all of the chaos when Iroh spoke again. “Did my nephew cause the fire?”</p><hr/><p>Zuko sat up slowly and examined his wrinkled fingers. He’d been asleep for too long, but aside from the slight stiffness in his neck, he felt no pain. He rose quickly and changed into the clothes that sat folded on the edge of the tub.</p><p>Bracing himself, he checked the mirror. No scars. No evidence that anything had happened. He shook his head in amazement. Katara was good.</p><p>Out in the kitchen, Uncle was speaking. Zuko decided it was probably time to make an appearance. He was halfway down the hall when he heard Katara’s reply.</p><p>“I wasn’t there to see it, but no. He says he didn’t do it, and I think I believe him.”</p><p>Their heads turned when they heard him approach. </p><p>“Zuko, you look as good as new!” Hearing the relief in Uncle’s voice felt a little like being stabbed, but all he could really think was <em>she believes me</em>.</p><p>Zuko kept his eyes on the woman seated across from his uncle when he responded. “I feel as good as new.”</p><p>Once Uncle had ushered Zuko to the table, served him tea, and force-fed him an almond cookie, he asked the inevitable question. “Can you tell us what happened, exactly?”</p><p>And so he did. In as much detail as he could, he explained that he had been waiting for Katara to come back from the dinner when he smelled something like rotten eggs. But he couldn’t find the source of the smell. Apparently, he hadn’t been the only person to notice it, because he heard footsteps and yelling. Why would spoiled poultry cause people to evacuate a building?</p><p>A flash of recognition crossed Uncle’s face at that, but he said nothing.</p><p>Zuko had been getting ready to follow the others when he felt the first explosion. He hadn’t known where it came from, but he smelled the smoke. He left the apartment then and had started to make his way downstairs when he saw the flames on the floor above him. It wasn’t a particularly big fire—easy to extinguish with his bending.</p><p>So instead, he ran upstairs. But when he attempted a heat transfer to put out the fire, it didn’t work. He tried again—maybe he’d done it wrong. When it didn’t work again, he tried slashing through it to block and smother it. There was no change. He tried over and over, but he couldn’t do it.</p><p>He didn’t tell them how much that had scared him.</p><p>When Zuko had decided there was nothing he could do and turned to leave, he felt the second explosion—of course, that time he’d been standing in precisely the wrong place. He’d managed to surround himself with his own fire before getting burnt to a crisp, but the left side of his body had been exposed to the blast, and he was launched backward. He didn’t know what he landed on, but he hit something <em>hard</em>. The next thing he knew, he was being pulled out a window. There was a lot of yelling and flashing lights. He’d been handed off to the medics when he spotted Katara.</p><p>“Sounds like it was a gas leak,” said Uncle once Zuko had finished.</p><p>“I remember my brother mentioning something like that while we were at the Northern Air Temple. He said that natural gas is flammable. I’m pretty sure he used it against the firebenders that attacked us while we were there,” said Katara.</p><p>Uncle pursed his lips and nodded. “It’s not an entirely uncommon occurrence here. You were very fortunate, Zuko.”</p><p>He didn’t feel particularly lucky but decided not to argue.</p><p>Katara spoke again quietly. “Did everyone make it out?”</p><p>“Yes.” Zuko could say that confidently—he’d checked with the medics.</p><p>“That’s wonderful news,” said Uncle. Zuko offered him a small smile in response. From the corner of his eye, he could see Katara staring at him.</p><p>Once they’d cleared away the tea and cookies, Uncle set the living area up as a temporary sleeping arrangement. He laid a mat across the floor, piling it with blankets and pillows. Extras were placed on the futon. Katara made a beeline for the mat on the floor and gave Zuko a look that dared him to just <em>try</em> challenging her when he attempted to object. Resigned—though secretly grateful—he took the futon.</p><p>Uncle bid them goodnight with promises that he would do whatever he could to help them get back on track.</p><p>Zuko settled into the cushions, and despite his earlier bathtub doze, he could feel sleep tugging behind his eyes. Before it could overtake him completely, he peeked at Katara sprawled on the mat below.</p><p>“Thanks for believing me,” he whispered.</p><p>She didn’t reply, but he thought he could see her lips quirk in the dark.</p><p>“And I want to hear about the dinner.”</p><p>“Tomorrow.”</p><p>Satisfied with her answer, he let sleep claim him.</p><p>When he opened his eyes the next morning, Katara was already awake. The sun was high in the sky. His inner fire hadn’t woken him up.</p><p>She was at the stove, making some kind of doughy concoction in a pan. She turned when Zuko approached. “Pancakes. Your uncle taught me to make them.”</p><p>He looked around the room. “Where is he?”</p><p>Katara’s focus was back on her pancakes. “He went out in the hall for a phone call. He didn’t want to wake you.”</p><p>Rubbing his eyes, Zuko plopped into a chair and gave Mushi, perched on the table, a scratch on the ears.</p><p>“We should probably talk about your slip-up yesterday,” Katara said after a moment, her back still facing him.</p><p>“My slip—oh.” He had almost forgotten about his—rather, the other Zuko’s—moment with Katara’s brother. “I don’t really know what to say.”</p><p>“Why do you think it’s happened to you twice now but not to me?” She flipped one of the pancakes as she said it. Some of the batter splattered to the floor, only to be swiftly devoured by Mushi.</p><p>“I don’t know.”</p><p>“No theories?”</p><p>He supposed he hadn’t thought much about the ‘why’ as much as the ‘how often’. Would those little incidents become more frequent the longer they were here?</p><p>“No.”</p><p>“I have a couple.” She was stacking the pancakes on a small serving platter.</p><p>Before either of them could say anything else, the front door opened. Uncle was finished with his call. “Oh, that smells delicious, Katara.” He sat down at the other end of the table. “Good morning, Zuko. Sleep well?”</p><p>“Uh, yeah. Thanks.”</p><p>Katara set the platter down along with three plates and forks. Uncle rose to grab a butter dish and a small bottle with some kind of brown liquid inside it from the counter. “Make sure to try it with some butter and maple syrup,” he said jovially.</p><p>For several minutes the only sound was the scraping of forks on plates. Zuko assumed that Katara had decided to table their conversation for later.</p><p>Uncle’s phone rang again after a few minutes. He answered it from his seat.</p><p>“Hello again.”</p><p>There was a muffled response from the other end.</p><p>He beamed. “Fantastic! I’ll let them know.”</p><p>Zuko looked at Katara, who was watching Uncle with a confused expression that likely mirrored his own. Uncle put the phone down, his grin still in place when he looked between them.</p><p>“Good news. I’ve arranged for you to stay with your mother and sister.”</p><p>Zuko and Katara simultaneously choked on their pancakes.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Couple of things to note: </p><p>PTO = Paid Time Off (in case anyone needed to know)<br/>Citizen is a real app</p><p>Thank you so much for all of the kind comments on the last chapter. Those of you who have continuously reviewed: I love you, genuinely. Bit of a transitional update with not as much excitement, but I'd love to hear some thoughts!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>No longer including the disclaimers because we all know I own nothing.</p><p>I'm late again—sorry, folks.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I’ll take over up here for a while. You should get some sleep.”</p><p>The airbender glanced back from his position on Appa’s head. “Thanks, Sokka, but I’m fine.” He wasn’t fine. In fact, Sokka was reasonably confident he would tip over and fall off the bison if someone didn’t intervene.</p><p>Sokka shook his head and held his hand out. Aang eyed it wearily, and for a moment, it looked like he might argue, but he sighed in defeat and handed Sokka the reins. Aang slumped against the back of the saddle and fell asleep almost immediately. The sound of Toph’s snores accompanied with the airbender’s breaths was an indication to Sokka that he would be alone with his thoughts for the time being.</p><p>They were well on their way to the Earth Kingdom, but after their most recent run-in with Sparky Sparky Boom Man—newly dubbed Combustion Man—they decided it would be best not to stop for breaks. Now that they were over the open ocean, there was no choice in the matter anyway.</p><p>Sokka settled into his new position with a huff. At this rate, they would reach land within the next five hours or so—enough time for him to overthink the plan and stress himself out even more than he already had.</p><p>It was a wonder the other two could sleep. Though, he supposed exhaustion could overpower just about anything after a certain point. But the pressure to get to Katara in time for the eclipse was an invisible hand pressing down on each of their chests. It made the journey feel more laborious, and sleeping in shifts didn’t help much when everyone was too anxious to actually rest. Needless to say, they rode mostly in silence. Even Momo was unusually quiet.</p><p>Of course, it wasn’t the first time the group had traveled between the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom on a time crunch. But Sokka would rank saving his sister from the Fire Prince as a higher-stakes mission than, say, Aang needing to have a conversation with a dead guy.</p><p>Toph and Aang had been on board with Sokka’s plan without too much convincing needed, but even he could admit that it was probably less to do with it being a particularly <em>good</em> plan and more to do with the fact that they had no other ideas. It wasn’t remotely close to airtight—something Sokka became more uncomfortable with the more he thought about it. But there was no going back now.</p><p>Appa let out what Sokka assumed was an exhausted groan. He scratched the bison’s head. “I know, buddy. We’ll be there soon.” He wasn’t actually sure about that, given he wasn’t yet sure where ‘there’ was, but he didn’t think Appa would call him on his bluff.</p><p>Sokka flew Appa through the night with only the sounds of sleeping children and the temperamental spray of the sea to soothe his whirring mind. His target destination was the first seedy Earth Kingdom tavern he could find.</p><hr/><p>When she could put it off no longer, Katara made the phone call. She decided that it would be easier to give Hakoda the news. He reacted about as well as she thought he would, which was to say, not well. But it was still better than having to worry her mother. The conversation didn’t last much longer once she had finished relaying Zuko’s story.</p><p>Iroh had then taken the phone from her to briefly speak with Kya regarding those logistical things that flew over her head. After Katara and Zuko each wrote a list of every item they could remember having seen in the apartment, he hugged them fiercely and begged them to come by for tea once things had settled down.</p><p>“I better see you before you go back home to the Water Tribe,” he had admonished Katara lightly. In response, she could only offer him a sad smile.</p><p>Katara now sat in the back of a death machine—Iroh had called it a car, but she preferred her own terminology—with a small bag that he had kindly packed for her in hand. It held more of the women’s clothing that he mysteriously possessed and more of the almond cookies. Other Katara’s parents awaited at whatever location Iroh had punched into her phone.</p><p>Next to her, the Fire Prince fidgeted with the straps of his own bag.</p><p>Zuko’s acknowledging nod when Iroh gave him the next several days of work off had been his last attempt at any form of communication. Iroh had sent them off, and since then, the firebender had maintained an oddly vacant look in his eyes. Though at the moment, they were covered by his shaggy dark hair as he stared out the window.</p><p>She didn’t try to coax anything out of him. While she had no knowledge of the circumstances surrounding his mother’s death, she knew enough from her own experience that he would need time to process their current state of affairs. And, well, it didn’t feel right to probe after she had already unwillingly pulled…other things from his past.</p><p>As for the topic of having his sociopathic sister for a roommate, they would probably need to have a conversation at some point. Katara would rather not have her throat slit in her sleep. But for the moment, she had her own family to worry about. <em>One thing at a time.</em></p><p>Katara closed her eyes, allowing herself to stew in her preoccupations. She should have known that the dreamlike bliss of being in her mother’s presence again would be fleeting. Reality—or, some version of it—was always going to catch up to her. But her mother was still here, and even in these dire circumstances, that was something. She would have to take what she could get, despite the nagging thought that living Other Katara’s life was beginning to feel like an exercise in method acting.</p><p>It was a life that, less than 24 hours ago, had literally gone up in smoke.</p><p>Though, part of her couldn’t help but wonder what would have happened if it had been the Other Katara and Zuko in this situation. Sure, Zuko had mentioned something about his bending not working correctly during the fire, but if he hadn’t at least partially shielded himself with it—if Katara hadn’t healed him with waterbending…</p><p>If it was a gas leak, wouldn’t the explosion have happened regardless of which versions of Zuko and Katara lived there? She shuddered at the thought of how things may have turned out differently had it been Zuko’s non-bending counterpart trapped in the building.</p><p>Maybe he had been right about where they were meant to be right now. She risked a glance at the firebender, whose knees had begun to bounce—a nervous tic that she’d seen him display several times since their arrival in this place. He had abandoned his bag of clothing in favor of fisting his hands in his lap.</p><p>Deciding that they both needed a distraction, Katara spoke quietly. “Do you want to hear about my theories?”</p><p>For a moment, she thought he ignored her question. She followed his eyes to where their driver sat at the wheel. The man spoke in an unfamiliar language in the midst of what sounded like a phone call, but Katara couldn’t see the phone. Either way, he paid no mind to the occupants in the back of his vehicle.</p><p>Once Zuko seemed satisfied that they would not be overheard, he reluctantly met Katara’s gaze for the first time since breakfast. “Okay.”</p><p>Biting back her concern at the hollowness in his voice, Katara cleared her throat. “Well, I have two, but I think one is more likely than the other.”</p><p>He nodded thoughtfully. “Start with the one that’s less likely.” His words sounded mechanical.</p><p>Katara took a breath and let her eyes drop to her lap. “I was trying to find a pattern in the slips—something about both of the situations in which they happened that could have potentially triggered them. But there wasn’t really anything similar about them. So, then I thought maybe it doesn’t actually have anything to do with<em> you, </em>in a manner of speaking. What if the other versions of us are now stuck in our lives?”</p><p>She paused to gauge Zuko’s reaction to her words and continued when his pensive expression remained unchanged. “What if the other version of you is fighting this—fighting it so hard that sometimes he manages to break through for a short time? It doesn’t necessarily explain why it hasn’t happened to me yet, but maybe Other Katara is trying to solve it in a…different way?”</p><p>“Solve it, how?” A slight change in his posture was the only thing that gave away his interest.</p><p>Katara floundered a bit at that. She’d been more focused on distracting him from whatever was bothering him than further fleshing out her theories, but she stumbled through an answer anyway. “Maybe she’s trying to bargain with that spirit that pulled us in here, assuming they’re in the Spirit World.”</p><p>Zuko’s left eye twitched. “So you’re saying that <em>you</em> are trying to solve this logically while I’m just…banging on walls?”</p><p>“Well, technically it’s Other Katara and Other Zuko doing that—”</p><p>He didn’t let her finish. “That theory doesn’t work. What’s the other one?”</p><p>Katara huffed, though she admittedly wasn’t particularly confident in that one, either. <em>Didn’t have to be such an ass about it, though…</em> “What makes you say that?”</p><p>“Besides the fact that you’ve based it almost entirely on your assumptions about my personality, it has a major hole.” He was a spitting viper bat, and Katara shot him a look that said ‘<em>lose the attitude before that guy decides we’re more interesting than his phone call.’</em></p><p>He took the hint, exhaling gustily before he continued at a lowered volume. “If Other Zuko—” he grimaced at the phrasing— “was stuck in my body, in theory, I should be temporarily back in my own life during these…slips, right? We’d switch places. But we don’t, and I’m fully aware of what I’m doing when the slip happens. Something just comes out of me. It’s like the two forms of my consciousness aren’t separate. Sometimes the other guy just takes over.”</p><p>Katara opened her mouth to respond, but he continued as if she hadn’t. “Even if your theory <em>was</em> somehow right, it doesn’t really help us figure out how to fix the problem.”</p><p>She pursed her lips, mentally conceding his points. Though, it wasn’t as if he’d given her any insight into his headspace during these slips until now. She had just been working with the information she had. <em>At least </em>I’m <em>coming up with ideas.</em></p><p>Thankfully, nothing he had said disproved the second theory.</p><p>“Okay, fine.” She worked to keep her voice level. “Next theory.”</p><p>Zuko nodded for her to continue. <em>As if I need Prince Prickly’s permission to speak.</em></p><p>Suppressing a scoff, she pressed on. “This one is a bit more simple, but it might more accurately explain why it’s happening to you instead of me.” She paused, biting the inside of her cheek. He wasn’t going to like this. “You’ve…immersed yourself in this version of your life more than I have.”</p><p>“Uh. Yeah, I guess.” His hand bit into the dark leather of the seat between them.</p><p>“More specifically, you’ve been going to work every day. Doing things exactly as the other version of you would. Maybe the more you do that, the more slips you’ll have.”</p><p>A pregnant silence filled the air while Zuko absorbed her words, his molten eyes burning right through her for a moment before he closed himself off again. Katara hadn’t realized he had angled his body toward her until he was shifting away again. The small space between them in the back of the vehicle suddenly felt like a chasm.</p><p>“So, you’re saying I should stop going to the teashop with Uncle. With Lu Ten,” he murmured, eyes glued to the floor. Maybe she imagined the cluster of sparks that flew up from his clenched fists.</p><p>Well, at least he hadn’t immediately shot down the idea.</p><p>“I’m sure your uncle will understand,” Katara soothed, wincing slightly. She didn’t know if she could say as much for his cousin. “And you can still go see him at home—just maybe take a little break from the tea shop and see what happens. We don’t even know if I’m right.”</p><p>If he heard her, he didn’t acknowledge it as he turned his attention back to his window. Katara glowered out her own window, reminding herself that she had no reason to bother with the placating gestures. He didn’t deserve them. It was his fault his <em>actual </em>uncle was in prison, after all. Why was it her problem if he felt guilty about it?</p><p>Unbidden, thoughts of his silent understanding and a whispered “good luck” swirled in her fatigued mind. They flowed into memories of solid arms around her waist and warm breath in her hair that kept her from either collapsing or doing something stupid—or both.</p><p><em>Ugh</em>.</p><p>Katara had just begun to consider opening her door and making a run for it at the next stop when he spoke again, his voice almost too low for her to hear.</p><p>“What about you? We’re on our way to see your parents right now, aren’t we? By doing that, aren’t you <em>immersing</em> yourself?” The last question dripped with vitriol.</p><p>Katara whirled on him. “What did you just say? Are you not the one who <em>encouraged </em>me to see my family in the first place so that you could be selfish and stay here longer?”</p><p>Smoke curled from his flared nostrils, but he wisely kept his mouth shut and avoided her boiling eyes.</p><p>Conveniently and rather loudly, the driver announced their arrival before Katara could freeze that <em>fucking</em> firebender’s spit in his throat. Shooting him one last icy glare, she hastily clambered out of the vehicle, Zuko following behind her silently.</p><p>Once they were safely on the sidewalk, Katara took a moment to admire the massive, ostentatious building in which her parents were evidently staying. It was nestled amongst intimidating glass structures like the one she had seen on one of her first nights exploring Da Ping Guo, but its stone-carved elegance with gold trimmings and aged moldings made it somehow even more imposing. Needless to say, it was nothing like any Earth Kingdom inn she had ever seen. In fact, it reminded her more of the palace in Ba Sing Se.</p><p>Fittingly, a red carpet was laid out in the street at the foot of the vast entrance. Two men in matching green uniforms stood ready to open the doors for new arrivals. A woman wearing the same uniform approached to greet the two gawking idiots, eyeing their small overnight bags. “Welcome to the Ammann Hotel. Are you checking in with us?”</p><p>With effort, Katara peeled her eyes away from the stately edifice. “Oh, um. No? We’re here to visit someone.”</p><p>The woman’s meticulously-painted eyes narrowed slightly above her brilliant smile, as her gaze slid past Katara to presumably appraise Zuko. Suddenly acutely aware that they were both still dressed in Iroh’s borrowed nightclothes, Katara cut the woman off before she could speak to provide her the room number Hakoda had sent her.</p><p>“What’s the last name on the reservation?” she said as she opened a small booklet and began to rifle through what Katara assumed was a list of guests with their corresponding room numbers.</p><p>“Oh, um…” <em>What’s my last name? </em>she thought in a panic.</p><p>“Alainga,” came Zuko’s assured voice from behind her. Her eyes widened at the tonal shift, but she didn’t dare turn around.</p><p>With an approving nod, the woman directed them inside toward a set of shiny metal doors situated behind a large, ornate desk that would have looked ridiculous anywhere but in this ritzy establishment.</p><p>Before Katara could take a step, a warm hand took hold of her wrist. She turned to find Zuko staring at their connected limbs with a furrow in his brow. His voice was a quiet rasp. “I’ll think about what you said.”</p><p>She pulled out of his grip and offered him a curt nod before turning to make her way inside, ignoring the lingering ghost of his fingers on her wrist.</p><hr/><p>Katara’s narrow shoulders rose and fell with a shaky breath before she brought her knuckles to the door. It nearly flung off the hinges when someone opened it less than a second later and threw their arms around the waterbender. Zuko looked away to give them privacy and had contented himself with melting into the background when the same pair of arms suddenly engulfed him in a suffocating embrace.</p><p>“I’m so glad you’re okay,” the voice—Katara’s mother, he now realized—whispered in his ear. Zuko could only stand frozen as he gaped at the woman’s daughter over her shoulder. After a moment, he awkwardly brought his hands up to hover somewhere near the middle of her back.</p><p>Katara watched the exchange with an odd look on her face, but then her mother was pushing them both through the door before he could think any more of it.</p><p>“Hakoda’s just gone out to grab us all a late breakfast. Are you hungry?”</p><p>Ahead of him, Katara shot Zuko a silencing look—as if he had anything to say to begin with. “Starving!”</p><p>Hakoda…where had he heard that name before?</p><p>Katara moved to sit on the bed—the only piece of furniture available to do so in the surprisingly plain room—so Zuko did the next best thing and went to stand stiffly by the window, half-wishing he could open it and escape. Instead, he stared pointedly out of it while Katara and her mother fussed over each other behind him.</p><p>The buildings in this neighborhood were much newer-looking than the ones near the apartment and the teashop. Most were made of glass, and many jutted out into strange shapes. The architecture’s contorted angles were enough to make his head spin—especially if he attempted to imagine how the structures managed to stay standing. In truth, this elaborate inn—<em>hotel?</em>—in which he currently stood was the most conventionally-constructed of any in the general vicinity. Though, the one glaring commonality it shared with the others was its height, which was significantly taller than anything Zuko was used to. He should have guessed, based on the amount of time they spent in that box that carried them up here. He closed his eyes against the urge to check exactly how far above the ground he was standing. To think he’d once considered the size of Royal Palace intimidating—</p><p>He was pulled from his thoughts when Katara said his name. Except when he reluctantly turned to face her, she was not looking at him. Instead, it was her mother watching him expectantly.</p><p>Zuko blinked several times and did his best not to stare, but mostly failed. Katara’s mother looked <em>exactly </em>like her, down to the dimple on her right cheek. Evidently, their voices were also similar.</p><p>He swallowed dryly. “Yes?”</p><p>She gave him a patient smile, concern flashing briefly in her eyes before she spoke again. “Would you like to stay here with us for a few days before you head over to your mom’s place? We’ve already asked the front desk to send up a rollaway bed for Katara.”</p><p>“Oh, I…” He looked desperately toward the waterbender, but she was busy hanging on the other woman’s every word. “I…think I should just go back to stay with my uncle for a few days until we’re both ready to go to my mother’s.” He felt himself stumble over that last word.</p><p>“Come on. I insist. We never get to see you, and in light of the situation, I think you two should stick together.” She looked pointedly between him and Katara.</p><p>Zuko opened his mouth and closed it again a few times before eventually nodding numbly. Katara said nothing, though the slight downturn of her lips as she watched her mother was enough to reveal that she wasn’t particularly pleased by the arrangement.</p><p>At that moment, Katara’s father arrived with their second breakfast. He kicked the door open, arms full of steaming packages. His eyes—as strikingly blue as his daughter’s—lit up in what looked like relief at the sight of the firebender fidgeting uncomfortably by the window. But Zuko was no longer paying attention because it was also at that moment that he remembered where he had heard the name Hakoda.</p><p>He leveled his open-mouthed shock onto Katara, whose focus had shifted to Chief Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe—her <em>father—</em>as he set the bags of food on the small desk in the front of the room. The man then immediately knelt before her at the foot of the bed to take both of her hands. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart.”</p><p>Scowling despite himself, Zuko turned away from the sight of Katara’s loving, concerned family. He’d never so desperately wanted to disappear than in that moment. But of course, that wasn’t possible, and from the corner of his eye, he could see that the chief was standing to make his way toward him.</p><p>With a steadying breath, Zuko turned, instinctively sinking low into a traditional Fire Nation bow. If Uncle Iroh had taught him anything, it was to treat leaders with deference—regardless of nationality and, in this case, propensity for stirring up trouble with the Fire Nation. He examined the patterned carpet, and shame gripped him like a vice over his disrespectful response to the chieftess’s earlier greeting. <em>As if I were an old friend.</em></p><p>There was a startled sort of chuckle from somewhere above him. “You okay, son?”</p><p><em>No. As if I were a </em>son. He suddenly felt rather nauseous, and the jarring reminder that <em>this</em> Hakoda was not, in fact, chief of the Southern Water Tribe wasn’t enough to quell the feeling.</p><p>Of its own volition, his mind traveled elsewhere. He was back in the palace when he first heard about the Southern Water Tribe chieftess’s death. His father had smirkingly mentioned in passing over the dinner table that the last Southern waterbender had finally been defeated. He’d referred to the fact that it had been the chieftess—Kya, he now remembered—as ‘<em>killing two birds with one stone</em>.’ There had been a brief celebratory toast in honor of the Southern Raiders.</p><p>Shaking off the memory, Zuko straightened out of his bow. He mumbled an apology, feeling his jaw involuntarily clench when a large hand clapped him on the shoulder. Despite their similar heights, Zuko couldn’t help but feel like he had to crane his neck to face the other man’s perturbed expression.</p><p>Behind Hakoda, Katara’s unreadable eyes were trained on his back while he inspected Zuko closely as if checking for damage. Zuko felt his lips twitch into a slight grimace as he realized that it was probably exactly what the man was doing. He sent a silent prayer to Agni that there would be no comment on the fact that Zuko didn’t appear at all like someone who had recently been caught in an explosion. The look on the waterbender’s face told him she was likely doing the same.</p><p>Hakoda’s brows slid up his weatherworn forehead, but he didn’t look unhappy with whatever conclusion he had drawn from his scrutiny. When he finally spoke, it wasn’t what Zuko expected to hear. “Kya talked to your uncle earlier this morning. He mentioned that you’ve already filed the insurance claim.”</p><p>Zuko released the breath he had been holding, but the tension didn’t leave his shoulders. <em>I’ve already done </em>what?</p><p>Katara spoke up then. “Yes. Well, Iroh did. He’s taking care of everything while we…get things back to normal.”</p><p>Zuko barked out a humorless laugh. <em>Normal. </em>He steadily ignored their pitying glances but allowed himself to be grateful that no one had yet asked him to repeat his story of how he failed to stop the fire.</p><p>Kya rubbed soothing circles into her daughter’s shoulder. “Let us help you do that.” She shared a significant glance with Hakoda. “I know it’s probably the last thing you want to do right now, but why don’t we go get you both some new clothes after breakfast?”</p><p>Katara opened her mouth to respond—</p><p>“I can’t.” The words tumbled out of Zuko’s mouth. He quailed slightly under three pairs of blue eyes. “I mean, I don’t have any money. I—I lost all of it. Everything.”</p><p>The full gravity of the situation seemed to dawn in Katara’s expression, her gaze finding the floor, where the purse that she had taken to her family dinner and the bags from Uncle lay—all they had left, save for the clothes on their backs.</p><p>Zuko flinched when Hakoda slung an arm over his shoulder. “Don’t worry about that.”</p><p>Kya stood then and disappeared into the small closet near the front door, emerging moments later with a white bag that looked similar to those on the desk which held their food. “I already went out to get you both some toiletries this morning. These are just the essentials—hopefully, enough to get you by for the next few weeks.”</p><p>Katara took the bag from her and glanced inside, her eyes widening. She shot Kya a watery smile. “Thanks, Mom.”</p><p>Zuko resisted the urge to look away, instead squaring his shoulders to meet the woman’s gaze when she turned to him. “Thank you.”</p><p>The chief’s arm tightened around his shoulders.</p><hr/><p>Breakfast number two was a mercifully brief event, laced with valiant efforts at small talk by Katara’s parents and Zuko’s mounting discomfort. It was made worse by the fact that they had all crowded together on the bed for lack of a better place to eat, towels spread underneath them to prevent spills. Zuko had perched himself stiffly on the very edge of the bed in his effort to maintain a safe distance from everyone else. Under any other circumstances, Katara might have thought it comical. The whole painful affair was punctuated by Kya’s concerned glances in his direction.</p><p>She found herself momentarily wishing for the appearance of Other Zuko if just to put this one out of his misery. But after it became clear that that wouldn’t happen and that pleasantries with the Fire Prince were impossible, the four of them ate their soggy egg sandwiches in silence. It wasn’t the most delicious meal Katara had ever had, but it was over quickly, for which she was thankful.</p><p>Katara could, at the very least, get by with her pretense, given that these were her parents, and she had practiced the night before. Zuko, on the other hand, was another story. Whoever the…<em>doting boyfriend?</em> that Kya and Hakoda knew was, this was certainly not him. The good news—if Katara could call it that—was that the events of the previous night were, in the minds of her parents, a perfectly viable excuse for his sullen behavior.</p><p>Said behavior continued well into the morning, only to be replaced with awe that mirrored Katara’s when they were steered out of the hotel and into one of the massive glass buildings nearby. Inside was a clean, open space, lined on either side with seemingly endless rows of what could only be storefronts. Kiosks with salespeople touting even more wares lined the center of the area, and in the distance, two sets of stairs led to a second level of more stores.</p><p>Katara blinked and scrubbed her eyes. The stairs were <em>moving.</em></p><p>The hundreds of people with bags and packages idly milling about didn’t seem to notice or care about the moving stairs. Well, at least Zuko seemed to care, judging by the utter incredulity written on his face.</p><p>There was no more time to absorb that because Katara was now being whisked in one direction by Kya, while Hakoda dragged Zuko the opposite way. She couldn’t help the sly smirk that stretched her face as she watched Zuko’s decidedly terrified expression fade into the crowd. Katara wouldn’t be the first to admit that she believed in karma, but she was starting to see why Aang did.</p><p>“Let’s start with Jianxi. We can get you the basics.” Kya was leading her into one of the larger, more crowded stores as she spoke.</p><p>‘Basic’ was not a term Katara would have used to describe the room they had ventured into. It was roughly the size of a small Earth Kingdom village, filled to the brim with racks and shelves of color-coordinated clothing. Some of the clothing was displayed on tall, faceless statues that stood under brightly-lit signs. Shoppers flitted between the racks, combing through fabrics and examining their selections in mirrors spread throughout the store.</p><p>When Katara picked out one dress, a top, and two pairs of loose pants—all blue, of course—her mother shook her head disapprovingly. “Katara, come on. We’re not leaving this store with four things. Let me take care of you. Are you forgetting that we need to build you an entirely new wardrobe? Also, underwear, sweetie.”</p><p>Katara couldn’t argue if she tried, because Kya had started piling her arms with articles of clothing. When she could carry no more, she was steered by the shoulders into a small dressing room at the back.</p><p>Nearly an hour later, they walked out of the store, each carrying a shoebox and two heavy bags of clothing. Katara had changed from her borrowed sleep clothes into a lavender sundress that Kya had picked for her.</p><p>“Done after only one store! I wonder if the boys got that lucky.” Kya chuckled. “Probably not. Zuko isn’t quite as low-maintenance as you are.”</p><p>Katara couldn’t help but chuckle lowly at that and offered her a tight smile in response.</p><p>“I think this will give you a solid foundation. The rest, we can send you. I’m sure there are plenty of old t-shirts for you to sleep in lying around in your old room. We’ll send you some winter coats, too.”</p><p>“Thanks, Mom. For everything,” Katara breathed. The more time she spent with the woman, the harder it was becoming for her to accept that she would soon have to let her go.</p><p>Kya pulled her into a brief side hug. “Let’s go wait for them in the food court. All this walking around has me craving a smoothie.”</p><p>Katara quickly learned that a smoothie was essentially mashed-up fruit in a cup, but she had no complaints about that. She sipped at hers slowly while they sat at a table in the center of the crowded food court, shopping bags stacked haphazardly in the chairs they’d saved for Zuko and Hakoda. Her mind did a backflip if she overthought about that, so instead, she drummed her fingers on the table, watching other shoppers with idle interest.</p><p>Besides the obvious disparities, she was beginning to notice a significant difference in the way people carried themselves in this reality. There were a lot of determined expressions and rigid postures amongst the sea of shoppers. Almost everyone that passed by appeared to be in some great hurry to get to wherever they were going. Was shopping not considered a leisurely activity here?</p><p>Her mother’s voice pulled her from her musings. “Have you let work know about your situation?”</p><p>“Yeah. I think I’m going to take a leave of absence. My coworker is taking care of it.” Kya’s brow quirked at that, and Katara wondered not for the first time if she was perhaps asking too much of Meili.</p><p>“Oh, hon. I wish we could stay longer.” Kya rested her hand on hers as she spoke.</p><p>There were no possible words that could convey how strongly Katara shared that wish, and she was beginning to feel more and more that the spirits were simply trying to torture her by putting her in this specific alternate life.</p><p>She landed on “Me, too, Mom.” But it would never be enough.</p><p>“I know what you’re going to say when I tell you this, but I’m going to tell you anyway. Your dad and I are going to give you some money when we leave. You and I both know that insurance check won’t be enough to cover you.”</p><p>Katara wasn’t sure what her other self would say to that, but one glance at the massive shopping haul was enough to know how <em>she </em>would respond. “No. This was more than enough.” She cracked a small smile. “And, well, now we don’t have to worry about paying rent.”</p><p>Her smile was not returned. “And what about student loans?”</p><p>She could only stare at her mother, blankly. <em>Student loans? </em>The spirits were definitely trying to torture her.</p><p>Evidently reading Katara’s reaction as something else, her mother’s expression softened. “We’ll talk about it more later. But Katara, I hope you know that this is just a blip. You’ll get back on your feet in no time like you always do.”</p><p>Katara felt her eyes begin to well up and bit down hard on her lip. She knew better than to attempt a verbal response, so she settled on a nod.</p><p>“I’ve said it before, and I’ll repeat it. I couldn’t be more proud of you, sweetheart. You’ve built a wonderful life for yourself, and you’ve done it on your own.”</p><p>The hand over hers squeezed. She swallowed thickly and returned the gesture before Kya’s phone made a sound, and they both pulled away. Katara had felt her own phone buzz several times since they’d started shopping, so she took her mother’s momentary distraction as an opportunity to check it.</p><p>She had a missed call and a voicemail from the same person, but the name was unfamiliar. That, in itself, wasn’t a new experience. With no small amount of guilt, she had ignored many of Other Katara’s friends’ messages and invitations. But no one had left her a voicemail. Remembering the steps she had taken when opening Zuko’s voicemail, she put the phone to her ear.</p><p>“Hi, Katara. It’s Ursa. I tried to call Zuko, but nothing would go through. Sounds like he needs a new phone. I wanted to check in with you on what day and time you plan on coming, and if you need me to come to pick you up. I’m also going to make a grocery store trip soon, so let me know if you want any specific kinds of snacks. As much as I wish it were under better circumstances, I can’t wait to see you both! Give me a call or shoot Azula a text when you get a chance. Thanks. Bye.”</p><hr/><p>It was when they were walking into the fifth store of the afternoon that Zuko decided he was ready to call it a day. Well, he had been ready after the second store, but his opinion wouldn’t have made a difference after the second store. But he could see now that Hakoda, too, was beginning to wear down.</p><p>Admittedly, the shopping was a welcome distraction from the small talk. Though, Zuko suspected that Hakoda had given up on that after his dismal performance at breakfast. So to his intense relief, they went about their task in companionable silence, save for Hakoda’s periodic insistence that Zuko stop trying to sneak clothes back onto their racks.</p><p>The longer this went on, the more the guilt ate at him. He simply couldn’t swallow allowing this man to do him this service, and he had half a mind to tell him why—unused to this easy acceptance from a member of the Southern Water Tribe. It was undeserved, and Zuko knew it.</p><p>So it was when Hakoda wordlessly handed him a pair of black shoes to try on in the fifth store of the afternoon that he said, “I think this is plenty.”</p><p>The older man hesitated, but there was unmistakable relief in the slump of his shoulders as he nodded his agreement. “Okay, but try on the shoes first.”</p><p>It was when they approached the register of the fifth store of the afternoon to purchase said shoes that he heard an all-too-familiar voice drawl, “Did you find everything you were looking for today?”</p><p>Hakoda smiled and answered for them both, but Zuko didn’t hear the words. His focus had zeroed in on the woman standing behind the register in all of her pale, beautiful glory. She paid Zuko no notice as he watched her methodically pack the shoes into one of the store’s decorative bags and instruct Hakoda to insert his card into the little machine on the counter.</p><p>There was no mistaking that it was her. But she was…different, besides the obvious, that she dressed in the style of someone who lived in this reality and did her hair differently. There was something else.</p><p>“Mai?” He choked.</p><p>She paused and looked up at him, and he searched in vain for any spark of recognition in her sharp gaze.</p><p>“I’m sorry. Do I know you?”</p><p>He shouldn’t have been surprised, really. “I, uh…” He could feel Hakoda’s eyes on him now. “I guess you don’t.”</p><p>Her expression betrayed a hint of alarm as she handed over the receipt. “How do you know my name, then?”</p><p>Realizing his mistake, Zuko shifted uncomfortably and glanced at Hakoda. “It doesn’t matter. I’ll, uh. See you around.” He didn’t wait for her response as he turned and practically bolted from the store, silently resolving to see her again before he left this place.</p><p>Hakoda’s eyes were still burning holes in the side of his face as they made their way to the food court, and Zuko found himself holding his breath while he waited for the other man to break the silence. Instead, he stopped Zuko with a firm hand on his shoulder and turned him to face him.</p><p>“Look, Zuko. I care about you, and this has been a rough 24 hours for you. I can tell this is all really getting to you.” He paused briefly to search Zuko’ s—deliberately—blank expression. “I don’t like to involve myself in other people’s business, but I’ll make an exception for my daughter. Is there something else going on that you’re not telling me…or Katara?”</p><p>Zuko absorbed the words, and his immediate reaction was, <em>Does he know I’m not who I say I am? </em>But then he followed the path of Hakoda’s gaze, now fixed on the store from which they had just come. Realizing what was being insinuated, Zuko began to sputter incoherently, which he knew was not helping his case as the stern blue eyes narrowed incrementally.</p><p>“What—no, sir! I wouldn’t—there’s nothing else going on.” The reminder of <em>exactly </em>who he was supposed to be to Katara was a painful smack to the head after he had just been rendered speechless by his <em>actual </em>girlfriend—in front of Katara’s father, no less.</p><p>
  <em>Agni.</em>
</p><p>Hakoda released his shoulders and didn’t push the subject further, but his silence spoke volumes. Zuko found it inexplicably harder to breathe as they picked their way across the food court toward where Katara and her mother waited.</p><p>After they had dropped the shopping off at the hotel, they met up with Sokka at a large, green park near where he worked. He had, thankfully, already been filled in on the details of the previous night’s incident, so Zuko only had to endure one of his bone-crushing embraces before he went back to fawning over his sister. As he watched the siblings, he tried to imagine what Azula would have done in this situation and quickly drew the conclusion that she would have been the one to set the building on fire.</p><p>Dinner was from one of the many food stalls that littered the park, and they ate by a small pond in one of its more secluded areas. The presence of Sokka—aside from his irritating disposition—was both comforting and disquieting in that Zuko could more easily fade into the background, but he was also constantly on edge about Other Zuko making an appearance. After all, his last major slip had been when Sokka showed up on their doorstep yesterday.</p><p>He was beginning to notice now that he had been having smaller, more frequent slips—the latest one being when he had somehow known Katara’s last name when they arrived at the hotel. These were even more concerning, he thought. How many of them had escaped his awareness entirely while they were happening?</p><p>As much as it hurt to think about, he worried that Katara’s theory may have been correct. Even worse was that she had not been wrong to call him out for his selfish reasoning for denying it.</p><p>In his peripherals, he could see Katara’s frequent attempts to catch his eye, but he steadfastly ignored her in favor of watching a family of not-quite-turtle ducks cut lazy currents through the pond.</p><p>Zuko had to physically restrain himself from asking Sokka if he could sleep on his futon when they parted ways later that evening. “See ya tomorrow,” Sokka said brightly, clapping him on the shoulder before bidding his family a goodnight. The question had been half-formed in Zuko’s mouth when he watched him walk away.</p><p>They all piled in a car to head back to the hotel. Hakoda sat in the front and struck up a conversation with the driver while Katara and her mother talked quietly next to Zuko. He was uncomfortably aware of the press of Katara’s thigh against his in the small space. His thoughts wandered back to Mai, and he replayed their brief meeting in the back of his mind. She had looked…relaxed. At ease. That was what had been different, he realized. There was none of the stiff coldness that so encompassed the Mai he knew. He frowned and closed his eyes, the memory of her confused expression painted on the backs of his eyelids.</p><p>The moment he had been dreading all day was, somehow, worse than he expected when they arrived at the hotel to find the tiny rollaway bed waiting in the room. Small as it was, it still took up most of the floor space, meaning sleeping on the floor wasn’t an option. He exchanged a glance with Katara. They were expected to sleep on that <em>together.</em></p><p>Blissfully unaware of the tension stealing the air from the room, Katara’s parents made quick work of their nightly routines before proclaiming their exhaustion and passing out within moments of hitting their pillows.</p><p>Zuko gingerly stretched himself out on the very edge of the rollaway, not bothering to change clothes or pull the covers over himself. He stared at the strip of artificial light seeping into the otherwise dark room from the edge of the curtained window, his gaze flicking to Katara only briefly as she emerged from the washroom with wet hair. He felt the mattress dip when she lowered herself onto the other side of the bed but didn’t turn to face her.</p><p>For what felt like hours, he lay awake listening to the light snores coming from the bed where Kya and Hakoda slept, until Katara shifted her weight next to him.</p><p>“I got a call from your mom today,” she whispered.</p><p>Zuko froze, and an absurd part of his addled mind wanted to laugh. He had almost <em>forgotten</em> the tiny detail of his mother amid his anxieties about Katara’s family and his run-in with Mai.</p><p>“What did she say?” His voice sounded tiny to his own ears.</p><p>“She said she can’t wait to see us. And she wants to know what kinds of snacks we like.”</p><p>Why that nearly sent him over the edge, he wasn’t sure, but he found himself burying his face into his pillow and trying not to cry.</p><p>He stayed that way for a long time. Katara said nothing further, and he had a feeling sleep had claimed her shortly after she had spoken. With a sigh, he tucked himself under the thin blanket. Focusing on the even breathing of the slumbering girl next to him, he managed to drag himself into a restless sleep.</p><p>Wakefulness tugged on his senses much sooner than it should have. He sat up, momentarily forgetting where he was, staring around blearily and raking his hands roughly over his face. Groaning internally, he flopped back onto the pillow. <em>Still dark.</em></p><p>He turned to Katara, whose face remained peaceful with rest, her full lips slightly parted. Each breath blew thin strands of damp hair off her face. His mouth curled upward in an involuntary smile. She was a sight he would never quite get used to, even after so many years.</p><p>“Beautiful,” he breathed, carefully shifting himself closer. He slid his arm over Katara’s waist, resting his hand on the small patch of her cool skin that had become exposed beneath her shirt during the night. With a contented sigh, he pressed his face to her neck, letting the smell of her shampoo wash over him, and—</p><p>Zuko blinked once. Twice. He gasped and threw himself off of her so violently he cleared the bed, hitting the floor with a painful thud. For several minutes he could only sit with his head between his knees while attempting to get his heartbeat under control.</p><p>After somewhat collecting himself, he risked a glance at the waterbender and released the breath he had been holding. She was still asleep. Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose to quell his growing headache. It would be impossible for him to go back to bed, and he couldn’t stand to be in the room any longer.</p><p>Stealthily, he rose and grabbed the card to unlock the room from the small desk next to the rollaway. Stepping into his new shoes, he slipped out the door and made his way to the metal doors at the end of the hallway.</p><p>When he stepped outside and breathed in the crisp morning air, he decided he had no choice but to test Katara’s theory. </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Another long chapter. I hope it was worth the wait! I'd really like to hear thoughts on this one, be it theories, constructive feedback, anything. I finished it almost a week ago and decided not to reread it before posting, so *shrug*</p><p>Do we think either of Katara's theories about the slips are right? What's Sokka planning?</p><p>As always, thank you for reading and I love all of you so much who comment/leave kudos. Sometimes writing is really hard, and validation makes it a whole lot easier. Until next time (I swear I'm working on the delayed update times)!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>.....Hi! I'm back! I had to really sit down and strip this story down to basics over the last few weeks. But we are back and rest assured this thing will not get abandoned.</p><p>This chapter had a beta reader! Special thanks to the lovely allthewaydown for making this thing coherent. And thank you to the people I've screamed to about this for many weeks now (if you're reading this, you know who you are).</p><p>Happy ZFAW week, everyone! And Americans, Happy Thanksgiving!</p><p>Enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It wasn’t entirely unexpected for Iroh’s door buzzer to go off as early as it did on a Saturday morning. It wouldn’t be the first time a young person in his building had unintentionally been locked out of their apartment after a night out, forced to buzz neighbors at random. The real surprise was the knock that sounded at his door and the muffled “Uncle; it’s me.”</p><p>“Zuko, what brings you here at this hour?” He said, taking in his nephew’s wrinkled shirt and slightly-too-low riding jeans. He was beginning to notice a pattern with the disheveled looks of this Zuko. Had he slept in yesterday’s clothes?</p><p>Instead of answering, Zuko wordlessly crossed the threshold to plunk down in one of the dining chairs, setting a steaming paper bag on the table in front of him. For a moment, Iroh could only gawk at the back of his nephew’s head, blinking away the last dregs of his interrupted sleep. Zuko, too, seemed unable to do much but stare out the window across the room, paying Mushi no mind when he approached to nuzzle his leg in greeting. Limbs catching up with his mind, Iroh tentatively took the seat across from him, effectively blocking his view of the window.</p><p>The young man blinked, then offered him a sheepish smile. “I brought breakfast,” he said quietly, pulling…two loaded hot dogs from the paper bag.</p><p>Iroh couldn’t help the small chuckle that bubbled from his lips. “Breakfast of champions this morning, eh?”</p><p>His amusement was not shared. “You don’t have to eat it if you don’t want it,” Zuko grumbled, and Iroh again had to remind himself to tread lightly with this one. He was evidently appeased when Iroh grabbed one of the hot dogs and took an enormous bite. It was almost certainly a product of the food cart across the street.</p><p>There seemed to be an unspoken understanding between them that Zuko would be the one to break the silence, whenever he was ready. He didn’t do so until long after they had both polished off their hot dogs, and Iroh had risen to put the kettle on.</p><p>“Can I stay here with you for a little bit longer?”</p><p>Something about the tone of his voice compelled Iroh to hold off on selecting a tea to give his nephew his undivided attention. Upon turning to face him, he found that Zuko met his eyes with a certain desperation etched into his features.</p><p>Before Iroh could respond, he spoke again. “Don’t you think it’s ironic that I’m stuck in a tiny room with Katara and her parents right now when only yesterday you pointed out that your entire apartment was too small for three people?”</p><p>Iroh raised a brow at this. It was easy to see that Zuko’s relationship with Katara was not quite the same where he came from as it was here. Still, the anxiety rolling off his nephew in waves indicated that it went beyond merely a lack of romantic involvement.</p><p>“Well, it is certainly too small for long-term stays. But Kya and Hakoda were very keen to see you, especially with all that is going on. I’m sure you can handle it for a couple more days. Will you not be heading to your mother’s house soon, anyway?” he asked his last question carefully, gauging his nephew’s reaction as he spoke.</p><p>Zuko visibly shrunk into himself at the words–a jarring reminder of his response to learning of his mother’s proximity during their afternoon chat the other day. It brought up a litany of questions, but Iroh was a patient man.</p><p>It took Zuko several minutes to work himself up to speaking again, and he sounded resigned when he did. </p><p>“I need to stop coming into the tea shop for a while.”</p><p>Well, that certainly wasn’t what Iroh had expected to hear. “Why?”</p><p>“It’s–I can’t really explain it. Something’s been happening to me since…since I’ve been here. Katara, she had a theory about it. I just don’t know what else to do–”</p><p>Iroh cut him off with the wave of a hand. “Don’t worry about it. I’m sure I can hire some extra help until you…get back home. Or Lu Ten can take on a little more.” He wondered if Zuko was even aware of it when his entire body recoiled at the mention of Lu Ten’s name.</p><p>“Thank you,” Zuko said once he recovered, offering Iroh a tight smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. He looked ready to say more, chewing on his lip for a moment before continuing. “I’ll still be around, Uncle. Just because I can’t come into work, I…well, I’ll still come to see you.”</p><p>Iroh returned the smile–albeit with a bit more enthusiasm–then turned his attention back to the whistling kettle. </p><p>“Have you had any luck with the temples?” he called over his shoulder. In truth, he hoped that bringing up Zuko’s journey back to his own life might be an opportunity to transition into those questions about it that he so desperately wanted to ask.</p><p>He could tell by Zuko’s expression that those temples had been the last thing on his mind, but he nevertheless mumbled, “I don’t think that’s going to work.”</p><p>“Do you want it to work?” Iroh asked, pouring his favorite green blend into a mesh infuser.</p><p>The question evidently caught him off guard because there was a significant pause before his next words. “There are still things I have to do here.”</p><p>Well, that was obvious. But something told Iroh he wasn’t referring to insurance payouts. Leaving the tea to steep, he sank back into the chair opposite Zuko. The wary golden eyes scanned the apartment–lingering first on the open bedroom door and then on Mushi. Not for the first time in the strangeness of the past week, he looked decidedly rattled. There was so much he wasn’t saying.</p><p>Eventually, the gaze swiveled to the man sitting across from him. “Are you happy, Uncle?”</p><p>It was Iroh’s turn to be caught off guard. But there was unquestionable sincerity in his nephew’s eyes. He answered honestly. “I am.”</p><p>Zuko looked like he might say more, then thought better of it. He glanced at the two mugs waiting next to the steeping pot on the counter, then aimed an apologetic look back on Iroh. “I should go. Katara’s family will start to worry.”</p><p>Iroh tried his best to look affronted. “You won’t stay for one cup of tea?”</p><p>In answer, he stood and shook his head. “I didn’t tell them where I was going.”</p><p>It was all he was going to get today, Iroh realized. He sighed and stood to see his nephew out the door, placing the second mug back in the cupboard. “Don’t be a stranger, Zuko.”</p><p>He nodded, rocking onto the balls of his feet and rubbing his hands down the front of his jeans. There was a moment of hesitation before Zuko pulled Iroh into a loose embrace. He smelled of stale sweat, which all but confirmed Iroh’s earlier suspicions about how long he had been wearing this particular set of clothes. Before he had a chance to tighten the embrace and hug him properly, Zuko was slipping from his grasp. He offered one last stiff nod before opening the door and sliding back into the hallway.</p><p>“Oh, Uncle? Can I, uh—can you get me a ride back to the hotel?”</p>
<hr/><p>Southern Water Tribe folk appeared to be late sleepers because no one had awoken by the time Zuko slipped back into the room at midmorning. He took his time to shower and change into his new clothing. By the time he was ready, everyone else had just begun to yawn and stretch.</p><p>He spent most of the day following the family around as they wandered busy, garbage-strewn streets. They had met up with Sokka outside the hotel and decided it would be a day to take in the ‘touristy stuff’—which really just amounted to a lot of walking and pointing at things.</p><p>There was a quick breakfast in a restaurant near the hotel–Zuko simply argued that he wasn’t hungry when asked why he didn’t eat. It wasn’t entirely untrue, given his meal that morning, but they didn’t need to know that the tightness in his chest wouldn’t allow him to swallow more food if he tried.</p><p>The family left him mostly to his thoughts, which was both a good and a bad thing. On the one hand, he didn’t have to pretend to be some other person. On the other hand, the last thing he needed was to be alone with his decidedly unsafe thoughts.</p><p>Here he was, slowly losing his mind, following Katara and her family around like some kind of lost koala sheep, when he was <em>supposed</em> to be looking for answers.</p><p>But what else could he do?</p><p>For so many years, he had been driven by a single-minded determination to hunt the Avatar. He’d had a <em>purpose. </em>How was he supposed to know what answers to find now that he had no north star? He was reasonably sure that Roku and Sozin were dead here, so asking them was not an option. But what would he even ask? It wasn’t the first time Zuko had wondered, and the desperation was beginning to mount.</p><p>What would Uncle say? <em>His </em>Uncle, not TranquiliTea Uncle. Though, he imagined TranquiliTea Uncle would have equally cryptic wisdom.</p><p><em>The path that reveals itself to you is the path you are meant to take.</em> <em>Do not fight the current, Prince Zuko. Let it carry you, and eventually, you will reach the ocean.</em></p><p>Had Uncle ever even said that? What was the ocean in this situation?</p><p>
  <em>Just go with the flow, Zuko.</em>
</p><p>The gears of his mind ground to a screeching halt at the uncomfortable familiarity of that second voice. It floated again to his awareness from a few paces ahead of him, saying, “That’s great, Sokka,” in response to her brother’s impassioned diatribe about ‘internet fanboys’ refusal to accept a female superhero.’</p><p>He wasn’t going to bother trying to piece that one together.</p><p>Despite her apparent disinterest in whatever Sokka was saying, there was an undeniable softness to her good-natured smile and the hand that patted his back sympathetically. The gesture held an easy companionship—one he didn’t see in Katara’s stilted interactions with her parents—that gave way to a closeness to which she was likely accustomed. One Zuko would never quite grasp.</p><p>Hakoda and Kya strolled hand-in-hand next to him, absorbed in a conversation about the merits of bike travel. They had asked his opinion on the subject at some point during his reverie, and he had responded with what he thought was an appropriate answer—that he preferred ostrich horses. That had gotten a raucous laugh out of Kya, though he wasn’t sure why.</p><p>The more time he spent with them, the more persistent the pressure on his chest became. But there was something else unnameable there, too, watching Katara turn at the sound of her mother’s voice. She could tell him all that she wanted about his selfish reasons for letting this go on—and, well, she wouldn’t be wrong. But Katara needed this.</p><p>And some part of him, he knew, <em>wanted </em>this for her.</p><p>Her parents would be leaving tomorrow, which meant that Zuko would be sent to see his own not-dead mother. Katara had told him that morning that she had arranged for Ursa to pick them up outside the hotel at around the same time her parents would be leaving. Ever since, he had occupied himself with pointedly filling his head with thoughts of <em>anything </em>else, but the effort was futile.</p><p>Several times throughout the day, he considered asking Katara just how she managed to handle seeing her mother and acting…somewhat sane. But every time he found himself drifting closer to her, he remembered what had happened when he woke up that morning. So he stayed at the back of the group, avoiding her glances his way.</p><p>But of course, the more he avoided her, the more glances he received from Hakoda. Those were significantly less welcome. But it was a crude reminder of the exchange they had the day before, and Zuko remembered that no matter what his feelings toward Mai were, he did have a role to play…for now.</p><p>So it was mid-afternoon during a tour through the second art museum of the day that Zuko sidled over to Katara and snaked his arm around her waist. She jumped and attempted to pull away, but he tightened his grip and steered her ahead–just out of hearing range of the watchful Hakoda.</p><p>“Zuko, are you in there? Come back,” she whispered, blue eyes frantic as she searched his face.</p><p>“It’s me,” he said, glancing away from her to look at the painting of a lighthouse—<em>so those exist here, too—</em>in front of which they stood.</p><p>“Your dad thinks I’m cheating on you.”</p><p>Katara ducked out of his grasp, whirling on him. “He <em>what</em>?”</p><p>Zuko shot her his best pleading look, glancing pointedly in the direction of her family before slowly wrapping his arm back around her—the shoulders, this time. <em>Baby steps.</em> “It’s a long story. But I was thinking a bit more about your theory. Wouldn’t it make sense for us to–uh, break up? If we’re not supposed to be ‘immersing’ ourselves, I mean.”</p><p>There was a long pause while she seemed to contemplate his words, chewing her lip and scrutinizing the lighthouse painting in a way that made it clear she wasn’t really looking at the picture. After a moment, she sighed and relaxed into his side. An odd burning sensation licked up his stomach then, the heat radiating up into his chest—hopefully, his inner fire kindling just a bit brighter than it had in recent days.</p><p>“Zuko, look how badly we’ve messed up these people’s lives already,” she said without glancing at him. “As much as I like that line of thinking, we can’t keep adding things to the list.”</p><p>It wasn’t a particularly shocking response, given that it was evidently in Katara’s nature to think about <em>other people</em>, not herself. It was one of the many things he was coming to admire about her. In truth, he’d mostly suggested it as a means to control his confused thoughts of late—the inexplicable need to please her that had prickled in the crown of his head for days; the ones he had a sneaking suspicion could not be blamed entirely on the slips.</p><p>When Zuko didn’t respond right away, she added, “Plus, we’ve been ‘together’ this entire time, and I haven’t had a slip yet. Don’t you think I would have by now?”</p><p>He hadn’t considered that. But that could also just mean Katara’s theory about the slips was incorrect—a thought he would rather not have ruminated on for too long. “So for now, we should just…keep pretending?”</p><p>Her nod was resolute. “For their sake, yes.”</p><p>There it was again. Zuko opened his mouth to ask her how <em>she </em>felt about it, but they were interrupted before he had the chance.</p><p>“So, we have a little bit of a surprise for you,” Kya said, appearing with Hakoda at Zuko’s right shoulder. “And we almost canceled it, but figured that in light of what’s going on, you both need a distraction.”</p><p>Under his arm, Katara stiffened.</p><p>Hakoda shot his daughter a toothy grin. “We have tickets for the five of us to take a sunset sail around Qiuling.”</p><p>Quiling. It was one of the names Uncle had given Zuko for the different boroughs of Da Ping Guo—the one in which he and Katara lived. <em>Sunset sail</em>?</p><p>“It had great reviews online. We’ll get a fantastic view of the skyline; there will be hor d’oeuvres—”</p><p>Sokka, who had wandered over from a sculpture of what looked like a giant feather, cut in. “Sunset cruise with the parents, eh? Sounds pretty bougie.”</p><p>Hakoda clapped him on the shoulder. “There’s an open bar, too.”</p><p>Sokka’s smirk was devious. “Say no more.”</p><p>Before Zuko knew it, he was sitting in the back of another vehicle—this one mercifully more spacious than the one from the previous night—weaving through countless streets in the shadows of infinite imposing buildings. Next to him, Katara sat rigidly, her eyes glassy and fixed on the front window.</p><p>Zuko eyed her hands folded in her lap, and his own hand twitched as he wondered briefly if he should take one of hers in it. Isn’t that what couples did?</p><p>He swallowed dryly—the tightness in his chest now a stranglehold on his throat—before losing his nerve and channeling his thoughts toward the passing scenery outside.</p><p>They arrived at a set of docks arranged in a square around a broad promenade, creating a marina not entirely different from that of the one in Caldera, if much smaller—but that was where the similarities ended. The sleek sailing vessels of varying sizes that <em>lined</em> said marina were a different story, and somehow Zuko didn’t think his royal sailing education would have prepared him to pilot a single one of them.</p><p>
  <em>Sunset sail. Sailing at sunset. Right.</em>
</p><p>The boat that Kya let them to, the <em>Jianshui</em>, was among the largest of them all. It was white-bodied and sailed, with polished dark wood finishings on the deck. Zuko’s inner sailor had a brief, indulgent moment of giddiness at the sight.</p><p>A woman stood near the dock with a cluster of bound parchment. A small line of presumed passengers had formed in front of her. Kya provided the family name when they reached the front of it, and they were given brief safety instructions to which Zuko admittedly paid no attention.</p><p>The moment he stepped aboard, a smiling man in a blindingly white sailing uniform handed him a flute of foaming yellow liquid. An experimental sniff filled his nose with the soured fruit scent that he associated with some of the palace’s finer wines. Though, the palace wines didn’t bubble and fizz—was it <em>boiling</em>? To his right, Katara eyed her own glass suspiciously.</p><p>“Champagne! Ma, you’ve really outdone yourself with this one,” Sokka said, downing the entire drink in one gulp as he brushed past Katara to venture further onto the deck, now slowly filling with other patrons. Kya rolled her eyes and offered the bemused server an apologetic smile as she accepted a glass, evidently making a point of taking a dainty sip.</p><p>Zuko and Katara turned simultaneously to meet each other’s eye, her shoulders lifting in a small shrug before she brought the glass to her lips. She blinked a few times, then took a second sip. “This is <em>good</em>.”</p><p>It was all the encouragement Zuko needed, and he found himself agreeing wholeheartedly when the drink—like liquid <em>gold</em>—hit his tongue. Mid-sip, he became painfully aware of Hakoda’s gaze on his back, and the sip became a swig. It burned down his throat and settled warmly into his belly, and before he could give himself time to think about his actions, he was finishing off the drink and taking a second one from the waiting hand of the champagne server. Katara raised an eyebrow at him over her mostly-full flute, her eyes sparkling, not unlike the drink in her hand. Then she turned to pick her way to the other side of the deck where Sokka sat, animatedly chatting to a girl with cropped russet hair.</p><p>As he downed his second glass of champagne and felt the beginnings of a tingle in his fingers, Zuko decided this would be his only chance of getting through the evening. He risked one glance at Hakoda, who had struck up a conversation with the boat’s captain, before following Katara to the end of the deck.</p><p>By the time the boat had launched and set off at a glacial southerly pace, Zuko was finishing off his fourth drink. His view of the city widened as they pushed further out onto the river, and watching the skyline expand, he realized that Quiling was, in fact, an island. They were stuck…on an island.</p><p>
  <em>Comforting.</em>
</p><p>Until that point, he had carefully avoided Katara and the rest of her family. But as gold seeped into his bloodstream and the city lights in the distance began to blur at the corners, he found his gaze wandering.</p><p>Katara’s back was to him as she stood at a railing overlooking the mass of illuminated buildings in the distance, sipping her champagne as she watched her mother next to her with rapt attention. The sun was properly setting now, and it cast its golden hues over her long hair, revealing a sparkling copper tone woven into its dark waves. Her skin <em>glowed</em>, made even more ethereal by the yellow dress that hugged her curves—</p><p>Zuko squeezed his eyes shut against his treacherous thoughts, unsure if they were a result of the alcohol or…the other thing. He didn’t even want to attempt to imagine that it was <em>both</em>.</p><p>He tore his eyes away and made his way toward the back of the boat to the bar, taking another glass of champagne without hesitation.</p><p>A scan of the deck saw Sokka still chatting to the girl he’d cornered at the start of the voyage, his arms flailing about as he was beginning to notice was typical when he was in the midst of a dramatic story. The girl’s hand covered her mouth to tamp down on her laughter.</p><p>Another brief look toward Hakoda—now inspecting the boom on the mainsail—and Zuko’s feet were moving, the pleasant buzz coursing up through his limbs giving him the courage he needed to totter up to Katara’s side.</p><p>“Hey,” he said, leaning just a bit too heavily on the railing.</p><p>On Katara’s other side, Kya bit her lip, and there was laughter in her voice when she spoke. “Having fun, Zuko?”</p><p>He looked between Katara—now also watching him with open amusement—and her mother and blinked. The alcohol did nothing to quell his bewilderment at their uncanniness, especially now that his lack of meals that day was beginning to catch up to him. He felt his head bob up and down and couldn’t decide if the lazy smile that stretched his face was voluntary.</p><p>Kya chuckled and turned her attention back to Katara. “I’m going to see if I can tear your dad away from his new wife.” She squeezed her arm and turned to stroll over to where Hakoda still stood, admiring the mainsail.</p><p>Katara watched her mom leave before swiveling back to look out at the skyline beyond, the breeze ruffling the hair around her face as she took a rather large sip of her champagne. “It’s a lot more daunting from this distance, isn’t it?”</p><p><em>Daunting </em>was an understatement—he could still <em>hear</em> the city from out here.</p><p>Zuko grunted his acknowledgment but didn’t tear his gaze away from the girl next to him. The humor that sparked in her eyes was gone, replaced by a sadness that was quickly becoming familiar to him. There was a dullness there, a cloud passing over blue sky.</p><p>He watched her for a moment longer before taking a final gulp of champagne and bending to place his empty glass on the deck. Katara’s eyes flicked to his movements, and when he straightened, she too downed the rest of her drink before setting the glass down and shifting her attention back to the view in front of them.</p><p>The boat rocked under their feet, Zuko’s mind swaying to it with his body. Another breath and he haltingly covered her hand on the railing with his.</p><p>She jolted under the touch, the tendons in her hand stretching taut as she turned again to search his face like she had done in the museum earlier. But whatever she saw there made her pause, and she bit her lip before stepping closer.</p><p>The gesture invited him—an invisible threshold she beckoned him across. So he removed his hand from hers on the railing in favor of enfolding her into his arms, her face pressing to the thin fabric of the shirt covering his chest.</p><p>He didn’t know if it was the buzz, or the scent of her hair or the feeling of her body pressed to his, but something in him drifted away, down the river, at that moment. And she was really,<em> really</em> beautiful and she was kind and she was stubborn and she was <em>his—</em></p><p>
  <em>Breathe.</em>
</p><p>He breathed, and suddenly his senses were overwhelmed by her. And he didn’t care anymore.</p><p>Maybe Katara didn’t either, because slim arms disengaged themselves from where they were pinned between their bodies and ever-so-slowly snaked themselves around his waist. She didn’t protest when his lips found her forehead.</p><p>Behind them, the sun blazed a path toward the river.</p>
<hr/><p>Under the thin sheets of the rollaway bed that night, Katara let her hazy mind drift.</p><p>The night’s excitement had long since worn off, leaving behind only sluggish limbs and a lightheadedness that was not enough to quell her racing thoughts.</p><p>Sunset. It had been a fitting end to all of this. But of course, it wasn’t really the end. She still had to wake up tomorrow and say goodbye to her mother again.</p><p>
  <em>Though there wasn’t a chance for goodbye the first time, was there?</em>
</p><p>There would be no final morning meditation on the ice, no arctic hippo stew for breakfast. No last ghost story around the cookfire. Just fizzy alcohol and finger food in a life that was not her own. Needless frivolity—that was not now she would have spent a final day with her real mother.</p><p>But her real mother was gone for good, and the next day this one would be, too. Then it was back to work.</p><p>And then there was Zuko, an arm’s length away, somewhere in the darkness. Zuko, who was the blood of the very reason her family was torn apart. Zuko, who—in another life—was considered a <em>part </em>of that family.</p><p>Zuko, who played his role rather wonderfully that day. Zuko, who spent the better part of his evening leaving trails of fire on her skin. Zuko, whose gentle touches she couldn’t possibly justify missing.</p><p>There were a lot of things about him she couldn’t justify. Why did she find herself suddenly trying to?</p><p>Maybe she didn’t <em>need </em>to justify anything. Maybe she was all alone here without him. Maybe, despite his moodiness and unpredictability, he had been a companion to her through all of this. Maybe she was just a little bit worried about him.</p><p>She didn’t know what compelled her to do it, but she found herself patting around the mattress in the dark. Her hand found Zuko’s forearm, the fine hairs of it raising at her touch. “Hey, are you awake?”</p><p>A pause. “Yeah.”</p><p>He didn’t <em>sound</em> very awake, but Katara pressed on. “How do you feel about tomorrow?”</p><p>She could just make out his even breathing in the stretch of space between them. “Terrified.”</p><p>“Me, too,” she whispered, half to herself.</p><p>There was another pause, this time much longer, before Zuko’s arm disappeared from under her fingers. The mattress moved, and she had been about to ask what he was doing when he shifted his weight and scooted closer to her. Tentatively, she turned to face him, and then there were only a few inches between them, his warm puffs of champagne-scented breath dusting her face.</p><p>They stayed like that, unmoving, for several minutes, until Zuko spoke again quietly. “How do you do it?” The strip of light seeping in from the curtains illuminated one eye, honey in the dimness, as it watched her.</p><p>“Do what?”</p><p>He lifted one arm and gestured toward the bed above them, where soft snores rang out across the small room. “…All of this.”</p><p>He didn’t need to elaborate any further. Katara had wondered it herself; when this cool detachment had begun to eclipse everything else, the closer her parents’ departure loomed. Why she had trouble feeling anything at all when she had never had a problem with it before. “It’s almost like I’m watching myself from outside my body. Like I’m playing the part of their daughter.”</p><p>A dark brow pulled down over the eye that could see. “But you <em>are</em> their daughter.”</p><p>She ignored the ache behind her ribcage. No. She was a daughter of the Southern Water Tribe.</p><p>“Not the one they know.”</p><p>He scrutinized her for a moment before sighing and turning onto his back to stare at the ceiling.</p><p>“I don’t know if I’ll be able to do that.”</p><p>Right. Tomorrow was a big day for Zuko, too. “What’s that, exactly?”</p><p>“…Pretend. I didn’t last two days with my uncle. I don’t know how I’d—I can’t do it. Not with her.”</p><p>It occurred to Katara then that Zuko probably wasn’t very good at pretending, from what she had gathered about him so far. She didn’t want to <em>begin</em> to think about the implications of that regarding their earlier activities.</p><p>“Are you saying we should tell her?”</p><p>“No!” he said quickly, and Katara surged forward to clamp her hand over his mouth, but in the darkness, the heel of her palm landed in his eye. His indignant squawk was tempered by Katara’s shushing sounds. For a moment, neither of them moved, but the sounds of sleep coming from the other bed did not let up.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” she whispered, pulling the hand from where it hovered over his face. She didn’t miss when he flinched away from it, almost as if she’d burned—</p><p>
  <em>Oh.</em>
</p><p>Before her mind could catch up with her actions, she reached between them and laced her fingers with his, squeezing gently. To her surprise, he gave her a small squeeze in return. She took it as an encouragement to say the next thing on her mind.</p><p>“Zuko. You said once that the Fire Nation took your mother away from you. You don’t have to tell me, but I—”</p><p>“She disappeared. I think she killed my grandfather to save me, though there isn’t any proof of that. She was gone before I ever found out if it was true, and of course, my dad was never going to tell me.”</p><p>Katara blinked. He’d spoken so quickly she nearly missed it. <em>Killed his grandfather to </em>save <em>him? From what?</em></p><p>About a hundred different questions lingered like bile at the back of Katara’s throat. There was tension rolling off of him in waves, though, so perhaps it was best to stick only to the most crucial question.</p><p>“Do you think she’s still alive?”</p><p>The sound of shifting fabric. A shrug, maybe. “I’ve thought about going to look for her.”</p><p>Though she was fairly sure she knew the answer, she asked anyway. “Why haven’t you?”</p><p>A breathy, humorless laugh. “I was a little preoccupied.”</p><p>The silence was thick after that, hanging in the air like an icicle waiting to pierce them. Katara wasn’t ready to broach this topic with him again—not when they were already on uneven ground.</p><p>But then Zuko was speaking again, so quietly she had to lean closer to hear.</p><p>“When she said goodbye to me…I didn’t know it was goodbye. If I had…”</p><p>The ache in her chest deepened and clawed its way downward, her stomach churning with it. His words from months ago flooded every corner of her senses. <em>That’s something we have in common.</em></p><p>It was more true than she could have possibly imagined.</p><p>“Maybe this is your chance. To say goodbye, I mean,” Katara said finally, gripping his fingers like a vice.</p><p>He was silent for a long time after that. So long, in fact, that she was sure he was asleep when she took a shaky breath and spoke her next words.</p><p>“My mother was killed in a raid. I…I couldn’t get help in time. When my dad and I got home, she was–she…” she trailed off, and the sound of her <em>other</em> mother’s deep breathing from somewhere to her left was suddenly deafening. So much so that she didn’t hear when a very-much-still-awake Zuko started speaking.</p><p>“Katara.” A light touch to her shoulder. He sounded distorted, far away. “Katara, I’m so sorry.” Cool, scratchy fabric pressed to her face. It took her several seconds to realize that she was crying and that the material belonged to the bedsheets as Zuko used them to wipe the wetness from her cheeks.</p><p>Somehow, that made it worse, and she had to press her face into the pillow to stifle a sob. The hand on her shoulder rubbed down her arm soothingly.</p><p>“I’m probably the last person who should be telling you this, but I think you need to allow yourself to feel this tomorrow.”</p><p>Katara shot the undefined lump in the dark—blurry through her unshed tears—an incredulous glare.</p><p>He sighed despite not having been able to see her. “When your parents leave. Don’t play the part.”</p><p><em>You don’t know what you’re talking about</em>, was, of course, the knee-jerk reaction. But Katara was beginning to come around to the idea that maybe he <em>did</em> know what he was talking about.</p><p>Maybe Zuko was a child when her mother was killed—when his own mother was taken from him.</p><p>Katara clamped down on that last thought, feeling exhaustion begin to overtake her. So she left him with the other question that had haunted her for the previous few days.</p><p>“Is your sister going to try to murder me in my sleep?”</p><p>Zuko huffed, removing his hand from her arm and shifting away from her. She told herself she didn’t miss his heat. “I wish I knew.”</p><p>Just before she slipped into unconsciousness, she realized that he hadn’t been joking.</p><p>The morning brought a chill that had nothing to do with temperature. Katara wearily looked on as Hakoda packed large bags with his and Kya’s belongings. Zuko had taken off in a rush early, stammering something about needing to ‘see something’. Katara had a sneaking suspicion that this was another attempt to get her alone with her parents.</p><p>Sokka had said his goodbyes the night before, so she had well and truly been thrown to the tiger sharks.</p><p>But there wasn’t enough time in the world for her to say all that she needed to say, to feel all that she needed to feel. So she watched her family prepare to leave her in silence, laughing when she needed to at her dad’s cheesy jokes or her mom’s dry sarcasm; provided monosyllabic answers when questioned about Iroh’s progress on the insurance claim. The casualness of it all was a noose around her neck that only tightened as the clock ticked the minutes away.</p><p>When the time finally arrived, Katara stood in front of the hotel while Kya and Hakoda deposited their bags into a car that would be taking them ‘to the airport’. Every other thought swimming in her mind at that moment dulled her curiosity at what that phrasing implied.</p><p>She felt Zuko’s eyes on the back of her head from where he stood a few feet behind her when her parents finished loading the vehicle. <em>Now or never</em>, she imagined him whispering.</p><p>“I’ll text you when we land,” said Kya, pulling her into a tight embrace.</p><p>Katara squeezed her eyes shut. “Sounds good,” she heard herself whisper.</p><p>When the contact was broken, something in her broke, too. And suddenly, she really, <em>really</em> wanted to smash something. When Hakoda handed her a slip of parchment and said, “I will hound you until you cash this. Just accept it,” the onslaught of rage nearly blinded her.</p><p>This was the <em>last time</em> she would ever see her mother—maybe her father, too. This wasn’t <em>right.</em></p><p>Katara nodded, jaw clenched, and returned Hakoda’s hug stiffly. Zuko stumbled his way through a goodbye to each of them, and then they were climbing into the back of the waiting vehicle.</p><p>With a final wave and blow of a kiss, the car rolled away, and they were gone.</p><p>And Katara was given no time to ruminate on any of it or <em>calm down</em>, for that matter, because when she whirled on Zuko, he had gone stock still, wide eyes fixed on a spot just down the road from where they stood in front of the hotel. <em>Right on time.</em></p><p>She followed his gaze to where a woman sat in the front of another car—this one rather large, rather loud, and rather rusted. The woman looked up when she felt their stares and smiled.</p><p>Katara couldn’t help the tiny gasp that escaped her. Ursa was <em>beautiful. </em>Even in her dirt-smudged clothes with her mussed-up hair, she was every bit as regal as one might expect from Fire Nation royalty. Now she was beckoning them forward, and Katara’s feet were moving of their own accord—like a moth drawn to a flame.</p><p>She didn’t know what she had expected Zuko to do next, but it wasn’t fling his packages of new clothing to the side, run ahead of her at full speed, nearly tear the door off the side of the car, and knock the wind out of his mother with the fierceness of his embrace.</p><p>“Zuko!” she wheezed, her surprised tone colored with concern as she shot Katara a questioning look over his shoulder. Katara could only manage a shrug in response.</p><p>“Now you’re all dirty,” Ursa said, petting his hair. The words were reprimanding, but she was chuckling as she spoke. “Hop in. I’ve got the AC cranked to full blast.” Zuko seemed incapable of forming words but reluctantly pulled away from her to move to the other side of the vehicle.</p><p>“Sorry about the mess,” she said kindly, gesturing behind Katara, seated in the backseat. Upon checking over her shoulder, Katara discovered where a large storage bed stretched out at the back of the vehicle—<em>that was new—</em>filled to the brim with sacks of soil. “I had to stop at Midori on my way into the city.”</p><p>Zuko, sitting in the front next to Ursa, had maintained a frustrating silence. So Katara forced a smile and nodded. “That’s alright.”</p><p>Ursa either sensed the strange mood or shared her son’s more reserved tendencies because the ride consisted only of her infrequent quiet questions, followed by Zuko’s even quieter answers, followed by long stretches of more silence. But it wasn’t an uncomfortable silence—Ursa’s serene confidence was a welcome veil blanketing the space.</p><p>When Zuko did speak, there was a softness in his voice that Katara had never imagined him capable of producing.</p><p>But she stopped paying attention to any of that when they crossed one of the many bridges over the river they’d sailed the night before, leaving Da Ping Guo far behind them. In its place, the further away they traveled, were tranquil tree-lined roads and houses not entirely unlike those she had seen on her travels through small Earth Kingdom towns. The territory was by no means familiar, but something about the atmosphere put Katara’s mind just a bit more at ease than it had been during their time in the city.</p><p>She didn’t know how long they had been driving when the vehicle slowed and turned onto a path that led to a house of creamy wood and brick. The path was lined with flowers and shrubbery to a scarlet front door, on which a wreath of more flowers hung.</p><p>Ursa helped carry all of their new clothes inside, apologizing the whole way if anything was dirty after touching her soil-caked overalls.</p><p>“I have to run back to the garden center to drop off the soil, but feel free to make yourselves at home while I’m gone. Bedroom’s at the end of the hall upstairs,” she called over her shoulder, already walking back toward the car. “Azula’s staying at her friend’s place in the city tonight, but she’ll be back tomorrow.”</p><p>She offered them one last sympathetic smile. “We’re really happy to have you here, for what it’s worth.” Then she was revving the car’s deafening engine and backing out onto the street.</p><p>Katara closed the front door and made for the carpeted stairs in front of it right away. There would surely be time for a tour of the house when Ursa returned, and she needed a moment to clear her head. Zuko followed her silently, and it was easy to guess that his line of thinking was similar.</p><p>At the top of the stairs was a bright yellow-painted hallway lined with framed paintings—no, photos?—of a smiling Zuko and his sister. Katara paused briefly, decided that no, she was <em>most definitely</em> not in the mood for Zuko’s memory lane, and continued along the hall to where Ursa said the bedroom would be. She dropped her bags unceremoniously to the floor and scanned the small, sunlit room. One bed, as she feared. And no futon.</p><p>She turned to give Zuko the bad news but hesitated at the look on his face as he examined one particular photo of him, Azula, and Ursa. A recent photo, from the looks of it. He scrutinized it for what felt like several minutes before Katara sighed and tentatively stepped toward him.</p><p>“You okay?” She placed a hand on his shoulder, stiff and coiled to spring.</p><p>Zuko turned to her slowly. “Katara…”</p><p>He paused, pinching the bridge of his nose. She gave his shoulder an encouraging squeeze.</p><p>“Katara,” he tried again. “I know you don’t owe me anything, but I need you to do me a favor.”</p><p>She couldn’t help raising her eyebrow a bit at that, but the look he was giving her—like a lost little boy—was enough for her to offer him a curt nod.</p><p>He spoke lowly, desperately. “I…I can’t ask because I’m supposed to know. But I don’t know. And I have to know. And you—or, <em>other</em> you, might <em>not</em> know. It would only make sense for you to ask.”</p><p>“…I don’t understand.”</p><p>He ran a hand roughly through his hair, turning to stare once more at the picture. “I need you to find out why my dad isn’t…around.”</p><p>And while a large part of her didn’t want to know about the Fire Lord’s family history, something about this felt vitally important. So it only took her a moment’s hesitation to respond with a confident, “I will.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope that was worth the wait, friends. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of the kind words on the last chapter. The comments and kudos are such a wonderful encouragement to keep writing. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this one!</p><p>(Also, yes, Katara did not refer to any cars as 'death machines' in this chapter. Didn't quite fit the tone, eh?)</p><p>I finally made a fandom blog, fam! Feel free to come say hi to me over there https://formerlygoldilocks.tumblr.com/</p><p>Update: apologies for the long wait for a new chapter - I am doing something for the Big Bang that has swept me away but I will never abandon this story!</p>
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